A Cruel Demon's Fate
by Shadowclanwarrior
Summary: Two years after destruction of the Chaos Heart, Mimi has lived with Madame Merlee in hope of trying to move on with her life. But Dimentio's betrayal still haunts her every sleeping moment. In desperation, Mimi goes to the Mushroom Kingdom hoping that her friends can help her forget the past. Can she truly move on or will she finally crack from her lover's cruel fate?
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

**Well, it has finally arrived! The long awaited sequel, A Cruel Demon's Fate, has finally arrived! I hope that the it was worth the wait, as I can't wait to see where this story goes!**

**But for those of you who haven't read the original story, Criminal, I highly recommend that you read that fanfic first before you read this one. Otherwise, you will be really confused as to what's going on. I will have a link to the first chapter at the end of this author's note, so it will be easy access for you.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the first two chapters and please review!**

**Link to the first story: www .fanfiction s/8351605/1/Criminal  
**

* * *

_A thick fog surrounded a large, black, gloomy garden, having no light to be seen anywhere. Mimi stood in the middle of it, shivering from the cold and her green eyes wide with fear. She wildly looked around her surroundings, desperate to find any sort of sight in the blinding fog. She did not want to be here, as fear filled her mind. For if she was in the garden, then _he_ was likely to be here. _

"...Mimi..."

_At the sound of her name, Mimi's eyes widened. _

_"...Count Bleck!" she called out. "Count, where are you?" _

"...Mimi..."

_ Desperate to find her old count, Mimi ran in the direction of his voice. Black flowers and trees surrounded her, even tried to block her path. But Mimi used all her shape shifting abilities to doge them. Nothing could stop her. _

"...Mimi...Mimi..."

_ "I'm coming, count!" Mimi shouted. "Hang in there, I'm almost to you!" _

_Finally, in the distance, a large fountain came into view. There, a man dressed in white stood in front of it, his yellow eyes on her. Mimi's eyes teared up. _

_"Count Bleck!"_

_ Count Bleck smiled slightly at the sight of her, relief glowing in his eyes. _

_But when Mimi reached closer to the count, a large purple and yellow electric sphere appeared out of nowhere and hit him straight in the back. Count Bleck screamed, his eyes going to the back of his skull as he fell to the ground dead. Mimi gasped. _

_"Count Bleck, no!"_

"Aha ha ha ha..."

_ Mimi's face turned pale as another man stepped out of the shadows. A jester dressed in black, purple, and yellow, his gray and yellow eyes shining beneath his black and white mask. Mimi's face paled as Dimentio stepped closer to her. _

_"Hello, my dear _bellezza_," he said softly. "It is so good to see you again."_

_ He put his face dangerously close to hers, his eyes burning with blood lust. _

_"The damn count is dead!" Dimentio exclaimed. "Let his blood stain the land as chaos and destruction consume us all!" _

_He gave a demented laugh, his voice echoing in Mimi's ears. Mimi stared at him, tears filling her eyes as she couldn't believe what she saw. _

_"...No!"_

_ She turned her back on Dimentio and ran, running as fast as she could. But no matter how far she ran, _his_ smooth as silk voice would not leave her._

"You can't hide from me forever, Mimi! I told you that I would return to you. For you are, and will always, be mine!"


	2. Chapter Two

Mimi's eyes shot wide open as she sat up from her bed, her body and nightgown drenched in cold hard sweat. She put her hand to her forehead, panting heavily as she tried to calm herself down.

She glanced around the room, trying to remember where she was. Light brown colored walls, the nightlight that sat at her bedside, the large window with a perfect view of Gloam Valley...

She was still in her room in Merlee's mansion, and not in her old room at Castle Bleck.

She was...safe, from _him_.

Relaxing a bit, Mimi removed her hand from her face, her long green hair flowing down. She sighed heavily.

_Even after two years, I still have nightmares about that place._

Mimi closed her eyes, as remembered her time at Castle Bleck. How she and her coworker and friend, O'Chunks, joined Count Bleck and his assistant, Nastasia to destroyed all worlds with the words of the dark prophetic book, the Dark Prognosticus. The intense training she went through, meeting her brainwashed friend Luigi, who at the time was Mr. L. Fighting the Hero of Legend, Mario and his friends.

And then there was _him_.

The man who would always haunt her dreams until the end of time, the man that would always have her in the palm of his hand, the man she had fallen in love with.

Dimentio.

Mimi felt her throat become clogged up at the thought of him. His betrayal still stung in her heart, and the fact he almost tried to kill her and her friends. It would never go away, no matter how hard she tried to move on. Mimi laid back down in her bed, as the final time she saw Dimentio played in her mind.

She had just packed her stuff to leave Castle Bleck and saw O'Chunks and Nastasia out. Before she decided to leave the dark castle for good, she headed to the garden. But once she was there, Dimentio appeared to her. He confessed to her that though he had used her for his evil plans, he had really come to care for her. That he wanted her and needed her. But each word he said, Mimi couldn't believe them. How could she tell if he was telling the truth, that he wasn't using her once again? She then, in order to prove that his story was true, she requested that Dimentio took off his mask.

And...he did.

Mimi saw his face for the first time, a face she would never forget. His corpse colored skin, the fact that she could see his skull from all the burnt scars. Deformity was everywhere, nothing looked like a normal human face. His mismatched yellow and foggy gray eyes, the incredible amount of pain and suffering he had endured.

Mimi could never unseen it.

And even after all she had gone through, all the evil and he had done, Mimi still let him go. For how could she kill the man she used to love?

_"You will not regret your decision to keep me alive, my dear."_ Dimentio's final words rang in her ears. _"I see, even though I will never fully understand it, that I have hurt you greatly. I will disappear from your life for a little while and give you time to heal. But I __will__ come back for you, _bellezza_. You are, and will always, be mine. Until we meet again, my love. Ciao."_

Mimi sighed heavily as she closed her eyes.

_Was it...the right thing to let him go? If I had of killed him...would things have been different? Would I still be haunted by him and Count Bleck?_

With question after question, thought after thought about her past, Mimi finally found herself drifting off back to sleep.

* * *

"Alright boys, that's enough for now," Mimi called out as the indentured servants of Merlee's mansion worked on the electricity. "Time to take a break for lunch."

The servants, dressed in red or blue jail uniforms, all stopped what they were doing, panting heavily in exhaustion. The other supervisors, who were wearing Egyptian pharaoh hats, repeated Mimi's ordered got them all in line and the servants all left for the dining room. Mimi smiled a bit as she watched them go.

"Miss Mimi."

One of the supervisors came up to her, handing her some paperwork.

"Here is the total amount of energy we've gathered this morning," he said. "Quite an impressive amount, I say. Its triple the amount we made yesterday."

Mimi glanced over the charts and results, her smile growing more and more.

"Good, Madame Merlee will be pleased," she said impressed. "The boys are working very hard. I may mention to Merlee about a raise for all of them."

The supervisor's eyes brightened, though there was a bit of shock in them.

"Really? I never expected you to be spearing in rubees, Miss Mimi."

Mimi chuckled.

"Aw, well, I only said I would _mention_ it to Merlee, not actually do it. That is ultimately Merlee's decision, not mine. And her rubees."

She glanced over the charts again.

"But in all seriousness, they are doing a good job. A lot of progress has been made."

"Indeed."

Mimi looked up at him and smirked.

"Well, you might want to go get yourself something to eat before the servants eat all the food. Just because you were talking to me, doesn't mean you get to do less work or have a longer lunch."

"Yes ma'am!"

With a quick nod of his head, the supervisor ran off towards the dining room with the others. Mimi let out an amused smile and walked out of the worker area.

She headed to Merlee's office, to place the results on her desk for her to look at. But before she could get there, as she was passing the entrance hall, a mystical voice appeared out of nowhere and said, "Aw, such a good feeling to be home again! After a long week of being far, far away."

Mimi turned around and smiled.

"Hi Merlee! I'm surprised to see you home this early."

Madame Merlee smiled.

"Yes, this trip was quite short. With the everything being so peaceful in most dimensions, there's really no reason for me to go to Flipside and Flopside for very long."

She approached Mimi, now noticing the papers in her hand.

"But what about you, Mimi? How were things while I was gone?"

"We've made a lot of progress," Mimi replied as she handed Merlee the papers. "The boys are working harder than ever, as you can see. More energy and electricity is being produced, along with other things in the house being taken care of."

She let out an over-the-top sigh.

"And even if it pains me to say it...I suggest that we may give them a bit of a raise. Oh, all the rubees I will lose!"

Merlee laughed, studying chart to chart.

"I see and I think you are right. A raise, they will get. Hopefully, it will encourage them to work even harder than this."

"They will be happy to hear that," Mimi said. "They are on their lunch break right now, so I can go tell them now."

Mimi was about to leave for the dining room when Merlee suddenly said, "Mimi, wait! There is more I must tell you!"

Mimi turned around, a puzzled look in her eyes. Merlee was silent for a long moment, as if she wasn't sure what to say. Finally, she forced herself to make eye contact with Mimi.

"There is another reason why I was gone for only a week. In reality, I was only at Flopside and Flipside for only two days. The rest of the time, you see, I was in the Mushroom Kingdom, talking with the hero Peach."

Mimi's eyes lit up with curiosity. The Mushroom Kingdom, Mario's home dimension? Why would Merlee go there?

_Has something happened to the four heroes?_

"Oh, don't worry, nothing is wrong," Merlee quickly explained, seeing Mimi's confusion. "Nothing like that in the slightest! I was just making a quick visit, but that's not important. What is important is that Princess Peach is holding the annual End of the Year Ball at her castle in a few days. And she has invited you to attend."

Mimi gasped.

"Really? Wow, that's amazing! But...wouldn't she have told me in person or sent me an invitation? I mean, I don't know how to get to the Mushroom Kingdom, or what to wear..."

"It is alright," Merlee said calmly. "Everything has been arranged. Tomorrow, Luigi will come and take you to the Kingdom of Mushrooms. You can talk about it with him, or Princess Peach, when you get there. They will explain everything."

Mimi blinked, still not completely sure about this. It was...just _so_ sudden. She looked into Merlee's eyes, noticing there was a bit of concern in them. Mimi stared at her.

"...There's more to this then just me going to a friend's ball, isn't there?"

Merlee's eyes widened at the accusing remark. But, she let out a heavy sigh, her eyes becoming dark.

"...You really have grown up since I first met you infiltrating my house two years ago. Yes, Mimi, there is more to it. And though I like having you here as my maid, for you've become almost like a daughter to me, I think it is best that you take a vacation for awhile. Since...you've been having those dreams again, haven't you? For you look tired and uneasy."

Mimi was silent for a long moment, avoiding eye contact as she nodded her head. There was no point of lying to Merlee that she was fine, for she would just see right through it.

"And though this place has healed you a bit, you are still haunted by the shadows of the past," Merlee said solemnly. "I had hoped, when I first hired you, that being away from Castle Bleck and everyone connected to it would help you move on. But...it's not enough. I believe that spending time with Mario and his friends will be good for you, along with O'Chunks and Nastasia. Face your past, and maybe you'll finally heal completely."

There was a long silence, as Merlee waited for Mimi to reply. But she didn't, at least not right away. Mimi stared into the distant window, deep in thought. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright. I'll go, if you really think it is for the best. How long will I be gone?"

"That is up to you," Merlee answered. "I will allow you to stay as long as you like. But you are always welcomed to come back, remember that too."

Mimi smiled slightly, happy to know that at least she would be missed.

"Okay. Thank you, Merlee. I'm glad that my boss is as caring as you."

_As caring as Count Bleck..._

Merlee smiled sympathetically.

"You're welcome. I hope this helps you."

Mimi nodded in reply, as she walked away towards the dining room to tell the servants about their raise.


	3. Chapter Three

_Oh my God, _where_ is he?! _

Mimi tapped her foot impatiently, as she stood outside Merlee's mansion. It was mid afternoon, and Luigi was supposed to be here an hour ago! What was taking him so long? Mimi growled a bit to herself.

_This was supposed to be a vacation for me, and yet I already feel aggravated! Ugh!_

"Sorry I'm late!"

Being pulled back to reality, Mimi saw a tall man with blue overalls and a green hat running towards her. Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"Luigi, what took you so long?" she exclaimed. "You were supposed to be here ages ago!"

Luigi panted heavily as he came up to her, putting his hands on his knees.

"…Sorry, Mimi," he said in mid breath. "I got lost on the way here…"

"How does one get lost with dimensional teleportation?"

"Well, first Mario had to tell me how to get here, then I had to go to Flipside and go through a huge orange door, which beforehand I forgot which door it was. Seriously, they all look the same only with a different color! And then I was in the middle of nowhere and I was attacked by a gang of parakoopas… And then I just simply got lost."

Mimi just simply faced palmed and chuckled softly. "Luigi…you are an idiot. I mean, _really_…"

Luigi gave an over dramatic sighed. "And that's what I'm told all the time…"

Mimi laughed a bit. It was so good to see Luigi again. She had forgotten how funny he was.

"So, how have you been, Mimi?" Luigi asked changing the subject. "How has working for Merlee doing for you?"

"Oh, it's good," Mimi replied. "I like the people who I work with and Merlee is really nice. Plus I get this super cute maids uniform to wear! Which is always a plus in my book if my uniform is something cute."

Luigi smiled.

"That's good to hear. Have you heard anything from O'Chunks or Nastasia?"

"Not really. Last thing I heard from them was that they were moving to Flopside."

Her eyes darkened.

"Actually…I've hadn't had the chance to speak to either of them since…"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Luigi gave her a sympathetic look.

"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," he said apologetic. "I was just only wondering…"

"No, it's okay," Mimi said cutting him off. "It isn't your fault."

She smiled.

"But let's stop talking about the past. So…how are we going to get to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Luigi gave an uneasy laugh.

"Actually…I was hoping you would know how to get there. Cause I have no idea how to get back with all the dimensional travel and all."

Mimi's eye twitched.

"…_How_ you survived being at Castle Bleck without knowing _anything_ about dimensional transportation, I will _never_ understand!"

"Hey, I'm not that hopeless!"

He paused.

"…But you _can_ get us there, right?"

Mimi rolled her eyes and sighed.

"My point has been made. Anyway, do you at least know _how_ to get to the Mushroom Kingdom from Flipside?"

Luigi nodded.

"Perfect, you can actually be useful!" Mimi exclaimed with some playful sarcasm. "Then I'll teleport us there and you can do the rest. Also…"

She took a hold of her large suitcase and shoved it towards Luigi.

"You carry my stuff for being late!"

Luigi sighed heavily.

"Okay, I may deserve this for being a bit late…"

Mimi giggled in reply as she teleported they teleported out of Gloam Valley.

* * *

After hours of randomly roaming around Flipside, Mimi and Luigi finally arrived at the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Okay, so when you said you knew how to get back to the Mushroom Kingdom from Flipside," Mimi said with a sigh. "That meant that you had to wonder all over town and ask several people for help. Genius, Luigi. Pure genius!"

Luigi gave an uneasy laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, like I said… Hey, at least you didn't have to carry this heavy suitcase!"

"And whose fault is that, dummy?"

Luigi sighed.

"At least we got here."

"_Finally_!"

Mimi gave one last glare, though there was a playful look in her eyes, as she looked at her surroundings. They were in a small town, the buildings being a bit smaller then what Mimi was used to as shorter people with mushrooms on their heads passed by. In the distance, a large beautiful white castle with a red roof stood. Mimi smiled.

"So, this is the Mushroom Kingdom. Not what I expect it to be."

"What were you expecting?" Luigi asked puzzled.

Mimi smirked.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe everything being made of mushrooms or something? Tell me, is all the food made of mushrooms? Cause if it is, I'm not eating it!"

Luigi rolled his eyes.

"Did Merlee teach you sarcasm as well? Because you were never _this_ sarcastic!"

Mimi giggled. "What can I say, I am awesome."

"…Along with arrogance too."

Mimi laughed even harder.

"…So are you going to answer my question about the food?"

Luigi faced palmed, chuckling a bit himself.

"You will see once we have dinner tonight. Come, I bet Peach is waiting for us."

"And probably wondering where we are too," Mimi added. "Since we should have been here like…"

"Are you ever going to let that go? I said I was sorry!"

Mimi smiled.

"Nope!"

Luigi let out a heavy sigh, but a small smile appeared underneath his dark brown mustache.

He and Mimi then walked to Princess Peach's castle. As they walked, Mimi took a look at the sights. The Mushroom Kingdom was a very pretty place, lots of green fields and mountains all around. The people were friendly too, as a few of the locals stopped by to say hi to her and Luigi. All of them seemed to know Luigi quite well, as they talked to him like an old friend.

_Of course Luigi would be treated like that. He's a hero after all. _

When they finally arrived at the castle, Luigi opened the front door and they stepped inside. Mimi's eyes widened with shock at how beautiful the entry hall was, with all its bright colors and windows. It was the complete opposite on how Castle Bleck looked.

"I wonder where the princess is," Luigi stated, looking around. "Hopefully she's still at the castle and not somewhere in town."

At that moment, a small man with a bright white mustache and round glasses came into the room. His eyes brightened once he saw Luigi and Mimi.

"Master Luigi, glad to see you are back!" the old man exclaimed in a British accent. "I was wondering when you and our new guest would arrive."

Luigi smiled. "Yeah…I got lost along the way picking her up, Toadsworth. And I don't need to be reminded either…"

He gave a small glare at Mimi, who just giggled in reply.

Toadsworth smiled and then turned his attention to Mimi.

"Aw, you must be the young girl from Merlee's place. Mimi, wasn't it?"

Mimi nodded.

"Good to know," the old man said cheerfully. "My name is Toadsworth; I work for Princess Peach here at the castle. I'm like her adviser."

Mimi smiled. "Nice to meet you. I look forward to my stay here."

"I'm glad to hear that!"

"Anyways, Toadsworth," Luigi said. "Do you know where the princess is?"

Toadsworth's bright eyes darkened a bit.

"Oh…she's talking with _him_ again," he explained in a hushed tone. "You know our _other_ guest."

Mimi blinked and Luigi narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, I see. Is he causing trouble?"

"They have argued a bit, from what I heard, but I can't tell if it is serious or not," Toadsworth replied. "I still don't like the young fellow, but I won't say anything against the princess's judgment."

Luigi nodded.

"I agree with you on that. But can you tell her that Mimi and I have arrived?"

"I will certainly do that, Master Luigi. Wait right here."

Giving one last welcoming smile to Mimi, Toadsworth walked up the grand staircase and disappeared. When he was gone, Mimi turned to Luigi and asked, "What was all that about?"

Luigi sighed.

"Oh…it's a long story," he said softly. "But basically a few days ago this rich guy from a distant country came by. I don't much of the details, but apparently he had some important business with Peach. He hasn't done anything wrong…but I don't trust him."

Mimi raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm accusing him of murder or anything," Luigi quickly explained. "It's just that there is something about him that makes me feel uneasy. It's hard to explain…but it's one of those things you feel even when you don't know the person."

Luigi looked towards the distance, his eyes darkening.

"But I'm not the only one who feels that way. Like Toadsworth, Mario doesn't like him either, but he has yet to say anything about it. Peach…she is friendly towards him, though it is hard to tell if she is faking it or not."

He turned back to Mimi.

"But you will see what I am talking about when you meet him. I'm not trying to scare you or anything, but just stay cautious."

Mimi smiled.

"That's okay. I'll make sure to have my guard up then. What's the guy's name?"

"Uh…I think it is Count Lucifer or something like that."

Mimi nodded in reply.

Count Lucifer...Mimi could tell she was going to look forward meeting this guy.

_He sounds so mysterious…and he is rich too! If he is handsome too I might fall for him at first sight!_

Though…why does he seem so familiar? The way Luigi described him…

"Uh…are you okay Mimi?"

Mimi blinked as she realized she spaced out. She smiled.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired that's all."

Luigi stared at her for a moment, but didn't further question it.

"Mimi, Luigi!"

Mimi and Luigi looked up to see Peach quickly moving down the stairs. A large smile was across her face and she came over to Mimi and gave her a hug.

"It is so good to see you, Mimi!" Peach exclaimed. "How have you been?"

"I've been great, Peach," Mimi replied. "It is so good to see you too."

Peach smiled. "I'm glad that you could come. I was going to send you an invitation, but Merlee came by before I could!"

"I'm looking forward to my stay here. And I can't wait to see Mario and Bowser again!"

The princess was quiet for a second.

"Well…I guess I could invite Bowser," Peach said thoughtfully. "He hasn't kidnapped me for the longest time, and I admit, I have grown a bit fond of him."

"He has learned to behave himself," Luigi added. "The only time he is a problem is when you and Mario are together."

Peach chuckled.

"Well, that is true. But he will get over it, I'm sure. But anyways…"

She turned to Mimi.

"Why don't Luigi and I show you around? Unlike Castle Bleck, this place isn't as difficult to navigate."

Peach and Luigi then walked over towards one of the hallways, chatting as they walked.

Mimi followed them, though she felt like she was being watched. She turned around towards the staircase, but there was no one there. She stared at it for a couple of seconds.

_I could have sworn… I felt… _

"Mimi, are you alright?"

Mimi blinked and turned to see Peach and Luigi giving her a worried look. Mimi smiled.

"Sorry. Thought I saw something. Guess it was just my imagination."


	4. Chapter Four

"This will be your room while you stay here," Peach said as she, Luigi, and Mimi walked into a bedroom on the fourth floor. "I hope everything is up to your liking."

Mimi felt her jaw drop as she entered guest bedroom.

It was _huge_!

Its bright white walls were decorated with beautiful landscape paintings with a large king size bed that had dark blue sheets and white large pillows. Beside the bed was large dresser and on the other side was the entrance to a small balcony that looked out towards the country side and castle garden. On the opposite side of it was a door that lead to a large, golden bathroom.

"...And this is just _a guest_ bedroom?" Mimi asked in amazement.

Peach chuckled. "Well, this is one of the largest. I hope it is big enough for you."

Mimi smiled. "It couldn't be more perfect!"

"That's good to hear," Luigi commented. "And so that is settled..."

He dropped Mimi's suitcase at the door, his right arm dangling down a bit from carrying it. Peach and Mimi laughed a bit as Mimi picked up her suitcase and sat it on the bed.

"Geez, Luigi, you are so weak!" Mimi exclaimed. "Seriously, I'm a girl and I have no problem carrying it!"

Luigi rolled his eyes.

"But you didn't have to carry it up a fleet of stairs and carry it for a long period of time."

"If it was really that difficult, you should have said something, Luigi," Peach said concerned. "I could have had one of my servants carry it up."

Luigi smiled. "That's okay, princess. I was just messing with Mimi, that's all."

He turned towards Mimi.

"I should probably make my way home now. Mario will probably be wondering where I am. I'll see you at dinner, Mimi."

Giving one last wave, he walked away down the stairs. Peach waited until he was gone before she said, "Well, I guess I should do a few things before it is time for dinner."

She turned to Mimi and smiled.

"You might want to change into something more formal before dinner too, Mimi. Since we have guest from another country, I would like to make dinner a little more formal for him. Other than that, I'll leave the rest of the afternoon to yourself. If you need anything, just ring that bell next to your bedside and one of the servants will come up. I'll probably won't see you until dinner, which is at seven."

Mimi nodded.

"Okay. Oh, and before you go Peach..."

She paused for a minute.

"...Will Count Lucifer be there tonight? Luigi told me he was a guest here."

A dark look appeared in Peach's gentle blue eyes, but it only lasted for a second. She smiled uneasily.

"Oh, I didn't know Luigi mentioned him to you already... Yes, he will come. Though, he doesn't like to socialize that much, so don't expect to have a deep conversation with him."

"Oh...but he will still be there?"

"Yes, just very quiet. It is hard to have a good conversation with him unless it is politics."

There was a slight pause as Mimi listed everything she knew about the count.

Rich, mysterious, and quiet...

Her heart began to race. Subconsciously, a small smirk appeared on her lips, making Peach raise an eyebrow.

"Mimi...?"

Mimi blinked.

"Oh, sorry! I was just thinking about something."

Peach studied her for a moment.

"...Alright," she finally said. "Though don't expect to see the count before dinner either. I'll see you later."

"Okay. Bye Peach."

With a small smile, Peach left and closed the door behind her.

Mimi then let out a heavy sigh, moving towards her bed falling down on it. She stared at the ceiling.

_So far, this vacation seems like it is going to be fun,_ Mimi thought to herself. _It is nice to see Peach and Luigi again. And I'll be seeing Bowser, Mario, O'Chunks, and Nastasia soon too! It will be a nice reunion...after what happened. _

Her mind drifted as she thought about the last time she saw everyone.

_They all seem to have moved on. Luigi and Peach aren't bothered by it in the slightest. Has O'Chunks and Nastasia moved on that quickly as well? Does Count Bleck still haunt their dreams? Or even Dimentio?_

She paused in her thoughts.

_Count Lucifer, though I have never met him, I can't help compare to Dimentio. He seems...so mysterious and elegant and proper. Just like how Dimentio was. Which makes me want to meet him even more but it also...makes me a bit afraid of him._

Mimi closed her eyes and let out a deep breath of air.

_Maybe I'm just over thinking things. Dimentio is gone from my life and I need to move on. _

_"__You are, and will always, be mine." _

_I can't let what happened control me for the rest of my life. Perhaps meeting Count Lucifer will help me move on. After all, I haven't even tried to start dating since Dimentio. Plus...Count Lucifer sounds _so_ sexy..._

A small smile appeared on Mimi's face as she slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Right before seven, Mimi quickly changed into some nice evening wear. She was wearing a simple white dress with small sleeves that fell off her shoulders. She put on a little eyeliner, lipstick, and had her hair up in her usual pigtails. It wasn't anything too fancy, but it was something. Mimi smiled at herself in the mirror above her dresser. This should be enough to make an impression on Count Lucifer. Nothing too attention driven, but she indeed looked beautiful.

Glancing over at the clock, Mimi decided that it was time to head out to the dining room. Feeling a tiny bit nervous, she slowly made her way down the hall and to the main staircase. She held her hands together as she walked, clutching each other tightly.

_Stay calm, Mimi. Stay calm... Take deep breaths..._

Finally, she arrived back at the main floor. And, to her relief, Mario and Luigi were down there. Mario looked the same as he did last time Mimi saw him, with his shorter appearance and grand mustache. He was wearing a bright red shirt with black dress pants and a black coat. Luigi, now wearing an identical outfit to his brother's only green, saw Mimi coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Mimi. Looking good."

Mimi smiled slightly as she came down.

"Thanks, you guys look great too."

She turned to Mario.

"Nice to see you again, Mario," Mimi said.

Mario smiled warmly at her in reply.

"Oh, by the way, Mimi," Luigi said. "I checked with the chief before I left earlier and there is, in fact, _no_ mushrooms in tonight's supper. So you will be able to eat everything without worry."

Mimi growled, playfully punched Luigi's arm.

"Doofus! You didn't have to put special requests for me! That is _so_ rude!"

"Hey, I wouldn't want you starve."

Luigi gave a innocent look, which made Mimi punch him a bit harder. Mario chuckled as the two friends bickered.

Suddenly, the mood on Luigi's face shifted from amused to displeased as he glanced over at the staircase.

"Oh...I guess _he_ decided to come early," Luigi said coldly.

Mimi blinked and quickly turned around.

And her eyes widened as to what she saw.

An incredibly handsome man wearing a lose black shirt, black gloves, and black dress pants was slowly walking down the stairs. He had a pale complexion as his shoulder length black hair fell perfectly over his shoulders. His long black bangs fell over his eyes, which were the color of cold gray stone, though the right eye seemed a bit foggy.

Mimi felt like her face just completely went up in flames.

The man in black glanced over at them, a large smile appearing over his narrowed lips.

"Nice to see you again, Mario, Luigi," the man said, his Italian accent elegantly flowing out of his mouth with his soft as silk voice.

Mario narrowed his eyes in reply.

"Hello again, Count Lucifer," Luigi said as he tried to hide the coldness in his voice. "I didn't expect you to come to dinner so early."

Count Lucifer smiled. "Well I heard there was a new guest who arrived here, and I didn't want to be rude to come in late to meet her."

He then moved his gaze to Mimi, their eyes locking.

"And you must be her, Mimi isn't it?"

He smiled.

"My name is Count Lucifer, another guest here at the fair Princess Peach's castle."

Slowly, he took a hold of Mimi's hand and kissed it, causing Mimi to blush wildly.

"_Lieto di incontrarvi_. A pleasure to meet you."

"Uh...hi."

Mimi could barely get out a sentence with the way Count Lucifer was looking at her.

They stared into each others' eyes, and Mimi felt her heart beat pound louder and faster.

"Uh, I think it is time for us to get going," Luigi said interrupting. "I think dinner will be ready soon."

Mario nodded in agreement. Count Lucifer smiled and let go of Mimi's hand, which he still had a hold of.

"You are right. And Princess Peach should be waiting for us."

He gave Mimi one last smile before he made his way to the dining room. Mario and Luigi gave each other uncomfortable looks, but made no comment. They and Mimi followed Count Lucifer to the dining room where Peach, dressed in a elegant pink and white dress with her blonde hair tied up, sat at the long table waiting for them.

"I see that you have met Mimi, Count Lucifer," Peach said.

Count Lucifer nodded as he sat down next to the princess.

"Yes. She is exactly as you told me."

His eyes drifted to Mimi as she sat across from him, Luigi right next to her while Mario sat on the other side of Peach.

Peach smiled.

"Well, I hope you two get along well since she will be staying with us for a few days."

"I'm sure we won't have any problem," Count Lucifer replied, his eyes drifting from Peach to Mimi. "Yes...no problem at all."

Mimi felt her face turn red from the way Count Lucifer talked, so she did her best to keep her eyes off of him. But with _extreme_ difficulty.

Peach could sense the tension between them, as the waiters brought in a small soup and salad for the appetizers. As soon the food arrived in front of her, Mimi quickly began to start eating. No one said much during the first course, as Mimi was trying to avoid any attention on herself while the others just felt simply quiet. Though Mimi barely made eye contact to see what the others were thinking.

Soon, the main course arrived for them as the same waiters came and took their salad plates and soup bowls. The main course was lasagna, which was covered bright red sauce and pure white cheese. Again, Mimi quickly started eating. But, unlike the first course, Peach started to bring in conversation.

"You seem really hungry, Mimi," she said. "If I would have known, I could have had dinner planned earlier."

Mimi swallowed her bite of lasagna and gave an awkward smile.

"It's fine. I prefer to eat later anyway. Though I guess I was hungrier than I thought."

She looked down at her dinner. "But this is really good lasagna. What recipe did you use?"

"Oh, you would have to ask one of the chiefs," Peach answered with a smile. "But if you really want good lasagna, Luigi's homemade ones are to _die_ for!"

Luigi blushed.

"You give me too much credit, princess. I just make them like my mother used to. Right Mario?"

Mario nodded in reply, but he gave his brother an encouraging smile.

"But if you want to, Mimi," Luigi said. "I can make you some tomorrow night since I always makes some for when my girlfriend from Sarasaland, Daisy comes by."

Mimi blinked.

"You have a _girlfriend_?"

Luigi nodded, a dreamy look appearing in his eyes.

"Yes, she is the princess of Sarasaland. She is very good friends with Peach, which is how Mario and I met her."

Peach nodded.

"Yep. ...And I remember when Daisy first came to visit Bowser kidnapped me...for the fortieth time, I believe."

Luigi chuckled. "Right! I remembered that. Mario ran all over the kingdom to get you and I had to stay with Daisy, who was in complete shock. But anyways..."

He returned his gaze back to Mimi.

"Yeah, Daisy is coming for the ball and she's arriving later on tomorrow. Plus, in the meantime, Mario and I can show you around town."

Mimi's eyes lit up.

"Are there a lot of places to go shopping?" she asked, excitement in her voice.

"Uh, I guess," Luigi answered unsure of himself. "Though your term for 'shopping' and mine probably mean two _completely_ different things... But yeah. We can see what we can do."

"Okay, I can't wait!" Mimi replied. "And perhaps Peach and I can gets some new dresses for the ball."

"Oh, I would love to do that with you, Mimi," Peach interrupted. "But I'm afraid I'm tangled up in a few..._political_ issues."

Her eyes gazed over towards Count Lucifer, who simply nodded his head.

"Indeed. And these matter can't be taken too lightly."

"And what are these 'political issues?'" Luigi asked. "You know, you never fully explained exactly _why_ you are here, count."

Count Lucifer smiled.

"I have my reasons, and part of them is only to be known with politicians. Even if I were to tell you, I highly doubt you would understand what I am talking about."

Luigi narrowed his eyes.

"Try me."

There was a long silence as the two men glared each other down. Clearing her mind of all thought, Mimi forced herself to look at Count Lucifer and ask in a soft voice, "Where are you from, Count Lucifer? Have you been to the Mushroom Kingdom before?"

Count Lucifer's eyes locked on to Mimi's.

"I'm from a very distant land, my dear. For the most part, we are quiet society and keep to ourselves. However...my country has a long history and some it concerns the Mushroom Kingdom. What exactly, I cannot tell you."

As the count spoke, an uncomfortable look appeared in Peach's eyes. Her whole body tensed up a bit, as if she was trying to prevent herself from speaking. Mario noticed it and quickly took the princess's hand for comfort. Mimi saw that from the corner of her eye.

"And what is this country of yours called?" she asked causally.

Count Lucifer paused for a moment.

"I'm from _Terra di Desperatio_. My people are called the _Tribù di Mors_."

Mimi felt a shiver go down her spine with the way he spoke.

"...If your people have a history with the Mushroom Kingdom," Luigi questioned, "how come I've never heard of the _Terra di_..."

His tongue got tangled when pronouncing the last word. Count Lucifer smiled, chuckling softly.

"That's because, like I said, my country is a very enclosed place. And our countries time together has been more than likely forgotten."

His eyes darkened a bit as they moved towards Peach.

"But now things have changed and action needs to take place. Don't you agree with me, Princess Peach?"

Peach was silent for a long moment.

"...Yes. Though I'm still not sure..."

She cut herself off.

"But let us not worry about politics right now. We should be celebrating, for the End of the Year Ball is only a couple of days away!"

And with that said, the waiters finally brought in some cake for dessert, for the rest of the dinner was ate in complete silence.

* * *

Around ten o'clock that night, Mimi was outside on her balcony, gazing out into the distance.

She let out a heavy sigh. Her mind kept drifting off to Count Lucifer. She could not get him out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. Every time she thought about his face, mix emotions would go through her heart and mind. From wanting to be near him and all his attractiveness...to fearing him and what could be on his mind. The fear that she felt when she first made eye contact with him, she could not describe it.

_There is more to him then what meets the eye,_ Mimi thought. _He is more than what he shows. Just like..._

She stopped in mid thought as she looked down to the garden. In the distance, Mimi saw Count Lucifer walking in the garden. She watched him from a distance for a moment, again feeling those conflicting emotions.

_Damn it, this is going to drive me crazy!_

Making sure Count Lucifer was still in the garden, Mimi quickly grabbed her robe and ran out of her room. Remembering the way Peach and Luigi showed her, Mimi went to the entrance of the garden. When she was close enough, she slowed down her pace and tried to look causal. She stepped outside and saw the Count Lucifer looking up at the stars. Mimi took in a deep breath of air.

"Hi Count Lucifer."

At the sound of her voice, Count Lucifer tensed up a bit. But, he quickly relaxed and turned to Mimi, his pale face glowing a bit in the moonlight.

"Greetings, Mimi. I didn't expect someone to be out so late."

Mimi smiled. "I couldn't sleep. I have a lot on my mind."

She walked next to him, her eyes on the stars.

"Nice evening wouldn't you agree, count?"

"It is," Count Lucifer replied. "A nice, relaxing, cool night. It takes the worries off one's mind."

Mimi nodded in reply.

They stood next to each other for a long moment, both of them staring at the sky. But while Mimi found herself relaxing, Count Lucifer seemed to be uncomfortable, as he put his hands behind his back. Mimi gave him a concerned look.

"Are you okay, count?" she asked. "You seem tense."

Count Lucifer chuckled softly, his breathing quickening.

"It is nothing. It is just that..."

He smiled a tiny bit, his gray eyes meeting Mimi's green ones. Suddenly, Count Lucifer's left eye started change color a bit. Count Lucifer, now noticing it, stepped away from Mimi.

"...I'm sorry to be rude, my dear, but I have to go," the count said, his voice shaking. "I need to get some rest, for I have an important meeting with the princess in the morning."

He turned away.

"Goodnight, my dear."

With his skin seemingly becoming paler, Count Lucifer quickly left the garden. Mimi watched him go, a million questions going through her mind. She could have sworn that his eye...

_No, it can't be!_

"Count Lucifer!" Mimi called out. "Count Lucifer, come back!"

She ran towards the direction the count went.

But when she went back inside the castle, he was nowhere to be seen. He had disappeared.


	5. Chapter Five

After a long, restless night, Mimi got dressed and went down to the dining room. She let out a small yawn, her eyelids feeling a bit heavy. She sluggishly opened the door to the dining room, where a small breakfast laid waiting on the table. Peach was already there, taking a small sip of orange juice. She saw Mimi from the corner of her eye and smiled.

"Good morning, Mimi! How did you sleep?"

Mimi gave a small smile as she sat down next to Peach.

"Oh...alright, I guess. The bed is really comfy. It almost seemed like I was sleeping on a cloud."

"I'm glad to hear it," Peach said happily. "I always try to make my guests have as many luxuries as possible and make sure they are comfortable."

"That is very kind of you," Mimi replied as she put some pancakes on a nearby plate. "You are a very caring person."

Peach smiled in reply.

There was a moment of silence, as Mimi quietly and slowly ate her breakfast. Seeing her tired expression, Peach gave a small look of concern. Making sure no one was around to over hear them, Peach leaned closer to Mimi and whispered, "Mimi, are you alright? I can tell there is something wrong."

Mimi stared at Peach for a second, setting her fork on her plate and staring downwards. She was very hesitant, as if she was debating whether to speak or not.

"...I'm not really sure," Mimi finally said softly. "I don't know what is wrong with me. I..."

She looked into Peach's eyes.

"Peach, do you ever think about what happened? Do you remember the destruction of all worlds as if it happened yesterday?"

Peach gave a solemn look.

"I cannot say that I don't think about it. It was a dreadful experience that I will never forget. I miss Tippi and I hate what happened to her and Count Bleck. But...of course it wouldn't affect me as much as it would you, or O'Chunks, or Nastasia."

Mimi avoided eye contact.

"I haven't talked to O'Chunks or Nassy since the three of us left Castle Bleck. I don't know how they are dealing with this but...I can't deny that I'm not handling it well."

"How are you not handling it well?" Peach asked. "Tell me wants on your mind."

Mimi sighed heavily, as she swallowed her pride. She never told her true feelings to anyone, not even to Madame Merlee. She always thought that she could handle her problems herself, that no one else needed to know.

_But Merlee sent me here so I can heal. And to do that I must talk._

"...Count Blumiere's death had a really big impact on me," Mimi explained. "He was my hero. He was like a father to me and I admired him. So when he died...it crushed me and I have dreams about it. I always feel like I could have done something, I could have helped him if I only knew or was strong enough!"

"I feel the same way," Peach said sympathetically. "But I don't think anyone of us could have changed their fate. For if it wasn't for Tippi and Count Bleck's sacrifice, The Void would have destroyed us all. But I understand what you are feeling, for I would feel the same way if someone that I admired died like that. But...that's not all that is bothering you, isn't it?"

Mimi nodded her head in reply.

"...Is it Dimentio?"

Hesitantly, Mimi nodded again.

Peach waited for Mimi to speak, and when she didn't, she said, "Are you still hurt that he betrayed your trust? That he caused the death of Count Bleck?"

Again, it took awhile for Mimi to reply, for she was trying her best to keep from forming tears in her eyes.

"...I had loved Dimentio more than I have ever loved anyone. From the moment I first laid eyes on him, I knew that he was special, different from anyone else. Our relationship was very rocky, as I tried to pursue a romantic relationship while he...had different goals in mind. Of course, I was oblivious to it, because I was a 'love stricken' girl, which he used to his advantage. And as time went by, my crush turned into true love. I can never fully hate him for what he had done. He will always have a part of me in his grasp. I know for a fact I will never be free of him. At least not completely."

As she spoke and confessed, Peach gave her complete attention. She gave a sympathetic, thoughtful look.

"Though I probably cannot fully understand how you feel about this, Mimi," Peach said softly. "I know it would be hard to get over Dimentio, since he was like your first crush. But he is dead. He cannot harm you any longer. He can no longer harm anyone. You can move on."

_You are wrong, _Mimi thought, clutching the edge of the table cloth out of Peach's sight._ He can harm us all, for he is still out here! It is only a matter of time before he comes for me and the rest of us! If he hasn't..._

"Mimi," Peach said, breaking Mimi out of her thoughts, "have you ever thought about trying to start dating again? Seeing other people?"

Mimi looked down at the ground but said nothing.

"Well, maybe you can find a nice handsome guy at the ball," Peach suggested, her voice returning its cheerful tone. "There will be a lot of single guys, and I'm sure one of them would be interested in you."

Mimi couldn't help but smile slightly.

Though, deep inside, she knew that finding a new guy would not solve the problem. For if what she saw last night, what she felt around Count Lucifer to be true...

"Peach, can I ask you something?" Mimi suddenly asked. "Something...that might sound a bit strange?"

Peach smiled. "Of course. If it helps you out, then I will do whatever I can."

Mimi smiled a bit, but it only lasted for a second.

"I know you didn't know Dimentio as well as I did. But...don't you think he and Count Lucifer seem a bit..._similar_?"

Peach blinked, her eyes shining with a bit of shock and puzzlement.

"Well..." It took awhile for her words to come out. "...I will admit that Count Lucifer isn't the... He... What makes you think that way?"

Mimi avoided her gaze.

"...No reason. I was just curious to see if anyone else felt the same."

She then stood up and took a hold of her plate.

"Thanks for the chat, Peach," Mimi said with a smile. "It was good to talk to someone about this. And I think...I know what to do to help me get over what happened."

_At least...the start of it._

Peach blinked a couple of times, a blank look on her face.

"Uh...glad I was able to help," she finally said. "If you ever need to talk again, I'm here for you."

Mimi smiled. "Thank you, Peach. You are a true friend."

* * *

"...And then when Mario got all the Star Spirits together, he came to the castle and completely destroyed him!" Luigi said with complete enthusiasm as he and Mimi walked through the front door of the castle. "It was an epic battle and Bowser and Kammy Koopa were sent flying into the night sky!"

"That does sound awesome," Mimi commented. "Though I still don't believe that Bowser was able to put his castle _right_ under Peach's without someone noticing."

"Yeah...it is a bit hard to believe. But I guess that's where the Star Rod's power comes in."

"Still..."

Mimi walked a bit further into the entrance hall.

"Thanks for taking me sightseeing, Luigi," she said with a smile. "I can't wait to go back and start shopping! After all, I do need to find a new dress for the ball."

"Glad that you enjoyed yourself," Luigi replied. "I'm sure you and Daisy will have a good time shopping. She is excited to meet you."

"Oh, you've told your girlfriend about me?" Mimi asked a bit surprised.

Luigi nodded.

"She had called me before dinner and I told her that you were a close friend who arrived yesterday. She seemed curious and all, as I've never mentioned you to her before."

"So she doesn't know about..."

Luigi nodded.

"No one aside from us, Mario, Peach, and Bowser knows about dimensional travel or stuff like that. But anyway, I did mentioned that you would probably wanting to shop for a new dress and Daisy said she would come too, if you didn't mind. Which was kind of weird, since she is a tomboy and all..."

He shrugged.

"Oh well, I'm sure you two will get along great."

Mimi smiled uneasily.

"Yeah, I'm sure... So, is she still arriving tonight?"

Luigi smiled.

"Yep. Around eight I think. It may be a little late, but you can come over and have dinner with us, Mimi. I will be making that lasagna that Peach mentioned last night."

Mimi smiled, her mouth watering at the thought of lasagna just as good, or even better, then the one she had last night.

But, unlike what she was thinking, she simply shook her head and said, "I would love to, Luigi, but I can't tonight. I have...some of my own plans for this evening."

Luigi blinked.

"'Plans?' Like what, if I may ask."

"Oh..." Mimi explained, pausing a bit between sentences. "...It isn't that big of a deal. Just something I have to do."

Luigi narrowed his eyes.

"Let me guess. You're going to ask Count Lucifer out or something like that. Am I right?"

Mimi gasped.

"I know you better than that, Mimi," Luigi scolded. "I could see it on your face when you first saw him. And I know it isn't any of my business who you date, but I don't think he is the best choice for you. He's just too...he's too much like..."

"He's too mysterious and calm minded? Too much like Dimentio?" Mimi cut him off before he could finish. "Yeah, I know. But apparently...I'm attracted to men like that."

Luigi sighed heavily.

"And that is why you shouldn't chase after him! You're going to get yourself hurt again, possible even worse than last time."

"There is that possibility," Mimi replied her voice as cold as ice. "But I'm more prepared for it this time. I can take care of myself."

She turned away from him.

"...Plus I have my other reasons. And though I do appreciate that you care about me, Luigi, I would prefer if you stay out of this. Things like this I have to deal with on my own."

There was a long silence as Luigi glared at Mimi, while she kept her back towards him.

"...Fine. There really isn't any way for me to stop you," Luigi finally said. "But if I _do_ find something wrong with the guy, and if he hurts you in _any_ way shape or form, Mario and I _will_ get him."

He sighed heavily.

"I don't want to sound like an overprotective brother, but I am worry about you, Mimi. I know for a fact that you are not over Dimentio and being with this guy is going to be bad news. I can feel it deep down."

He started to make his way to the door.

"Remember that we are your friends, Mimi. Me, Mario, Peach, and possibly even Bowser, will help you any way we can. And if you are ever in trouble...please let us know. We _are_ here for you."

Without even waiting for a reply, Luigi closed the door behind him and left.

Mimi stayed where she was for a long moment, Luigi's words echoing in her ears. She clutched her fists tightly. Though her mind told her that Luigi was right and this was a bad idea, her heart told her to go on through with it.

_Right or wrong, I have to find out. I need to know if what I saw last night was true! For if I don't... _

The consequences would be more severe.

Heading down a long hallway, Mimi roamed the castle in hopes that she could find Count Lucifer. She glanced through the sun room, the garden, the living room, the coffee room. But she had yet to find a trace of him.

_I hope he isn't in town somewhere or having a meeting with Peach..._

And then suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Mimi saw a glimpse of Count Lucifer's dark figure in the library. He was sitting in one of the red velvet chairs, reading a history book. He hadn't seen Mimi yet, as his cold gray eyes were glued to the book. Mimi felt her heart begin to race again. Taking a deep breath of air, she forced her shaking legs to enter the room.

"Good afternoon, count," Mimi said with a smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting you."

Count Lucifer glanced up at Mimi for a split second and quickly returned his gaze to his book.

"You're not at all, my dear," the count replied calmly. "I was just about finished anyway."

"Do you like to read?" Mimi asked as she sat on the couch beside him.

Count Lucifer nodded. "I do. It is a quiet pass time and you gain more knowledge as you read more. It makes you more intelligent and more aware of the world. Almost like...you have extra power over the weak-minded."

"You...have a thirst for power?"

"...You could say that. I always like to expand my horizons and limits."

"I see..."

There was a moment of silence as Count Lucifer kept his eyes on his book. Mimi studied his expression and couldn't help notice that the count looked extremely nervous. Perhaps _more_ nervous than she felt at the moment.

"Um...I hope you don't mind me asking this," Mimi finally said as she tried her best to keep her voice steady and calm. "But are you doing anything tonight?"

Count Lucifer seemed a bit shocked by the question as he now made eye contact with Mimi.

"...I don't usually have big plans for this evening," Count Lucifer answered after a moment's pause. "Is there something going on?"

Mimi gave a friendly smile.

"I was just only curious. After what you told me about your country last night, I've become really curious. I want to learn more about you, so I thought..."

"You would like to go out like to dinner, have some time alone so we could have a proper conversation without anyone overhearing?"

Mimi could not help but blush as Count Lucifer smiled at her.

"I'd be more than happy to spend the evening with you, Mimi. And I know the perfect place to go."

He closed his book got up from his chair.

"Meet me by entrance hall at seven thirty tonight," he said in a smooth, soft voice. "I'll take you to dinner and maybe...have a little fun while we are out."

He moved a bit closer to her, making Mimi's blush grow. Count Lucifer's eyes shined with amusement for a split second as he let out a small chuckle.

"I'll see you then, my dear."

Looking into her eyes for a small moment, Count Lucifer then walked out of the library. With a large smile across his face.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And now things are getting a lot more interesting, aren't they? Who knows what will happen! I hope that you are enjoying the story so far as I'm having a great time writing it! **

**However, I've not been getting as many reviews as I like to. Since this is still a pretty new story, I want a little more feedback telling me if everything is good or if anything needs improvements. So if you could give me a small review saying what you think, I would greatly appreciate it :).**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	6. Chapter Six

When seven thirty finally came, Mimi slowly stepped out of her room.

Her stomach felt like it was tied up in knots.

She had no idea how this night out with Count Lucifer would turn out, what she should expect or what she should do if something went wrong. _If_ something went wrong. Mimi felt herself shake a bit. How...how will she react if her suspicions are correct? How will she react, once she knows that he is...

"Are you going somewhere, Miss Mimi?"

Mimi jumped a bit as she turned around to see Toadsworth. She smiled uneasily.

"Y-yeah," she couldn't help but stuttered. "I'm off to see what the town is like at night."

The old toad nodded.

"And, by judging the way you are dressed, are you going with someone..._special_?"

Mimi laughed uneasily.

"I...I don't know. I'm not going on a date, but I might be meeting up with someone...from my past."

"Ah, I see. Seeing an ex boyfriend who you still like?"

"I..."

Toadsworth smiled.

"Well, I wish you luck. For if you truly love someone, you never quite fully get over them, no matter how hard you try to deny it."

Patting her on the shoulder for good luck, Toadsworth left. Mimi watched him go, his words repeating a bit in her ears. With a heavy sigh, she fully calmed herself and glanced over at her watch.

_Oh crap, I'm five minutes late! _

Mimi then quickly headed for the stairs. By the time Mimi arrived at the bottom of the staircase, Count Lucifer was already waiting for her, standing beside the door looking a bit bored.

_Well I'm off to a 'great' start..._

"Eh eh, sorry I'm late!" Mimi apologized as she finally came down the stairs. "I got a little...side tracked..."

Count Lucifer looked up at her and smiled, a smile that made Mimi's heart skip a beat.

"It's alright, my dear," the count said smoothly. "I've only just arrived myself."

"Oh...well, I'm glad you didn't have to wait too long."

Count Lucifer chuckled.

"No need to apologize. For even if I did have to wait long for you..."

His eyes gazed deeply into Mimi's.

"It would be _well_ worth it. Especially for a charming girl such as yourself."

Mimi blushed, her heart pounding in her chest at Count Lucifer's stare.

"I...uh...don't know what to say..."

There was an awkward silence.

"...Well, what are we standing around here for?" Mimi finally demanded, her face still red. "I'm starving!"

Count Lucifer laughed.

"So am I. I haven't eaten anything all day."

He opened the door.

"The restaurant I chose isn't that far from here," the count said as he and Mimi stepped outside. "It is an Italian restaurant down the road a bit. And with a lovely night like this, I thought it would perfect weather for a nice walk."

Mimi nodded in reply. "Okay. I'll be right behind you."

* * *

"Oh my God, dose the Mushroom Kingdom have anything that _isn't_ ridiculously amazing?" Mimi exclaimed as she and Count Lucifer stepped out of the restaurant. "All those appetizers, deserts, and the spaghetti I had..."

She paused.

"I hope that me eating all this food won't make me gain any weight..."

A look of worry appeared on her face as she studied herself. Count Lucifer chuckled softly.

"Relax, my dear. You are on vacation, are you not? You should be able to enjoy yourself without worrying too much over everything."

"I guess," Mimi replied with an awkward laugh. "But us girls kind of worry over this sort of thing all the time... We can't forget just because we are on vacation. Especially if we are going to go to a fancy ball in a few days, having be a bunch of cute guys around and..."

Mimi began to ramble a bit. Though a flicker of annoyance appeared in his eyes when she mentioned 'cute guys,' Count Lucifer made no comment on the subject.

They then started to make their way back to Peach's castle, the streets of the town being mostly still and silent as a cool night breeze filled the air. They didn't talk that much, Mimi making a comment about something here or there while Count Lucifer would just nod his head. Once they reached the main gate to Peach's castle, Mimi was about to open it when she saw Count Lucifer walk right pass it.

"Hey, where are you going? The castle is right here," Mimi said.

Count Lucifer turned to her and nodded.

"Indeed, but I want to show you something, if you don't mind, Mimi. It's down this path a bit."

Mimi raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"You will see."

Count Lucifer smiled a bit to himself, which made Mimi's curiosity grow more.

And her suspicions.

Without saying anything, Mimi and Count Lucifer walked down the small brick path. They crossed a small bridge and Mimi couldn't help noticed that the night sky was becoming a lot brighter. Soon, they arrived at the base of a plateau, which had shooting stars flying all around it. Mimi gasped in amazement.

"That is Shooting Star Summit," Count Lucifer explained as he noticed Mimi's entranced look. "It is a small plateau where shooting stars can always be seen around it. It has a fantastic view of the Mushroom Kingdom, especially at night where you can see all the shooting stars in perfect light."

The count gave a small smile.

"From what little time I've spent here at the kingdom, I can honestly say that this is my favorite place."

He lead Mimi up to the summit. At the top, they saw that the floor was made of stone and there was the design of a big star inside of it. Around it was railing for people to look over the edge and see the view and get a good look at the shooting stars. Mimi, her eyes wide with admiration, went towards the edge, leaning against the railing. Shooting stars appeared every few seconds, and the view of the town and countryside, with tiny lights from the houses and the land shining in the moonlight.

"Wow...it's so beautiful up here!" Mimi exclaimed. "I can see why you like it."

Count Lucifer stood right next to her, his eyes on the town.

"Yes, it is a fantastic sight. I could stand here all night and watch the shooting stars."

"So could I. I'm glad you brought me up here."

Count Lucifer smiled.

"...I'm glad too."

The two of them stood in silence as they stared off into the horizon. Mimi felt herself get calmed by the view, her thoughts slowly drifting away.

"...Moments like this bring back so many memories, don't they?"

Mimi blinked, looking over towards the count.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked puzzled.

Count Lucifer smiled, his eyes still on the horizon.

"A long time ago, late one night, I looked up at the stars with a young girl, like yourself," the count explained, his voice ever so soft. "I was roaming my castle when I noticed she was out in my castle's garden. Since she never stayed up so late, I approached her and asked what she was doing up. She replied, 'I had a lot on my mind. I needed to find a place relaxing, so I came out here.' It was a simple response, but it was self explanatory. We sat out for a long while, just the two of us. Alone and under the beauty of the night."

Count Lucifer closed his eyes, as if he could picture the memory perfectly in his mind.

"Though the moment was short, it was the first time I began to realize that I had feelings for her," he continued. "I was barely awake and conscious at the time, but I remembered that after she left to her room, I muttered her nickname that I recently gave her, in a tone of voice that I never imagined I had. It was when I...official claimed her to be mine."

Mimi felt her stomach turn a bit, her heart racing a bit.

"And...what was her nickname?"

The words were hard to get out, for she feared for the answer.

Count Lucifer waited a bit before he answered.

"I called her by a word that described her perfectly in my first language. And even to this day, though she swore to me that she would, had never fully figured out what it meant."

Count Lucifer paused for a long moment, his eyes staring deeply into Mimi's.

"I called her..._bellezza_."

Mimi felt her face paled as she forced herself to look away from him. She felt her hands shake a bit, her heart pounding in her chest with fear.

"Then I was right..."

She spoke so softly that it was even hard for herself to hear.

"...You _are_ Dimentio."

Dimentio gave a large smile.

"I was almost beginning to think you wouldn't recognize me," he said. "I was afraid that you would not figure it out, since you gave no signs."

"I didn't at first," Mimi confessed as she tried to keep her voice steady. "Though your personality remained the same, your..."

She couldn't help but blush a bit.

"..._new face_ distracted any thought of it being you. But then last night in the garden, I could have sworn that your left eye turned yellow. And that's when it hit me."

She paused for a long moment, her breathing quickening.

"...Though they didn't know you as well as I did, or know that you are still alive, Peach, Luigi, and Mario will eventually realize it is you. And when they do, they won't hesitate to kill you."

Dimentio couldn't help but give a harsh laugh.

"If they were that smart, they would have figured it out by now. Like drunken soldiers, I could be wearing my old mask and they _still_ wouldn't figure it out it was me. But...enough about those pathetic heroes."

Slowly, Dimentio put himself behind Mimi and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. Mimi flinched at his suddenly closeness and touch, but was so startled and stiff that she couldn't respond.

"I know we've just reunited, but it is going to drive me insane making myself be distant from you," Dimentio whispered gently in her ear. "Please...humor me a bit."

Mimi clutched the railing tightly but made no reply. Dimentio smiled a bit, letting himself breath in her scent.

"I've missed you a lot, Mimi. I'm so glad that you are back with me."

"W-what are you doing here, Dimentio?" Mimi demanded. "I thought I told you I didn't want to see you again."

"On the contrary, my dear," Dimentio replied calmly. "_You_ came to _me_. I was here weeks before you came. Trust me, it was a huge shock to find out you were here as it was for you to find out I was."

"So...you didn't know?"

"I knew that a friend of the princess's was coming, but I never heard the details, nor did I care at the time. I didn't know it was you until I saw you first come through the front door."

_He truly didn't plan on my coming?_

That was very shocking, almost too hard to believe. Though the way he sounded, Mimi knew that he was telling the truth. The longing in his voice...there was no way he could fake it, even being the great deceiver he was.

"So _why_ are you here?" Mimi finally got the courage to ask. "I'm sure you're not just here for the ball."

Dimentio gave a small laugh.

"Your right. I am here for a reason. Aw, don't worry, my _bellezza_, it does not involve killing the heroes that you have befriended. Even if killing Little Luigi would be _most_ pleasurable."

There was obvious hatred in his voice at that last statement, which made Mimi shiver a bit.

"But it does involve with the Mushroom Kingdom's history," Dimentio continued. "Specifically, something that happened to Peach and Mario only five years ago." He smiled. "And if all goes according to plan, not a single drop of blood will be spilled. For this is my nonviolent approach to my perfect world. And this time...I will make sure _all_ of my damnable weakness are covered. That, _bellezza_, includes you."

His grip tightened on her.

"And though I will tell you my full plan eventually, and not keep you fully in the dark like last time, you cannot know yet. But I will make sure...we are _never_ torn apart again. For I...cannot be separate from you another two years."

Mimi said nothing in reply, for she could say so many things and did not know which one to say. Unexpectedly, she gave a small yawn. Dimentio chuckled.

"Aw, I see that you are tired. I did keep you longer than I originally intended."

Stepping aside, he made Mimi face him and he gently took her hand.

"I'll take you back to your room."

He snapped his fingers and they teleported away from Shooting Star Summit.

* * *

In that same second, Dimentio and Mimi reappeared in front of the Mimi's bedroom. Dimentio smiled, his face hard to see in the darkness of the hallway.

"I had a lovely time with you, Mimi," he said. "I hope you had a nice time as well."

Mimi looked into Dimentio's eyes for a second before she turned her gaze back down to the ground.

"I..."

She couldn't respond, for she had no idea how to. Dimentio blinked, a puzzled and worried look on his face. He put his fingers under Mimi's chin and made her make eye contact with him.

"I see you are still unsure about me, just like you were last time we met," Dimentio whispered. "But I can tell that you still have feelings for me, you are just afraid to let them out for what happened in the past."

He gave a seductive smile.

"But...that won't matter. For your physical attraction to my new mask...will eventually win you over."

He leaned in super close to her, each able to feel the others' breath.

"...And that lust will eventually turn back into love."

He gave her a small kiss on the lips.

"Ciao, _bellezza_."

With one last look, Dimentio walked passed Mimi and went to his own room. Mimi, her face red and her heart beating so hard and fast, watched him go for a second before quickly retreating into her room. She leaned against her door, a million emotions going through her.

In her mind, she knew that Dimentio was dangerous and she should warn Peach and Luigi about him. She had to get away from him, file a restraining order on him and not let him touch her like that!

But in her heart...she wanted to keep Dimentio close to her, never have him leave her. The look in his eyes, his new handsome face, the last time she saw him in Castle Bleck's garden...

Her mind and conscious hated him while her heart and soul still loved him.

A small tear fell down Mimi's cheek.

_What am I going to do?_


	7. Chapter Seven

"Hey, Mimi, I just got a call from Luigi and Daisy," Peach said as she approached Mimi in the living room. "They said they should be here any minute now."

Mimi turned off the TV and looked up at Peach, giving a small smile.

"Alright. I'm ready whenever they are."

Peach smiled.

"I wish I could go with you guys, but you know, politics."

"I guess," Mimi replied. "I usually don't pay attention to politics and government stuff."

She then got up and walked up to the hallway. With her back towards Peach, she asked, "So...when you mean 'politics,' you mean discussing things with Count Lucifer?"

"Yes." Peach paused for a moment. "Why do you ask, Mimi?"

Causally, Mimi turned around and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I was just curious. What kind of things are you talking about? Count Lucifer mentioned that he was looking for something very important at dinner the other night."

Peach's face paled dramatically, her eyes filled with doubt. She avoided Mimi's gaze.

"It's..._complicated_, Mimi. What the count wants to know..."

She let out a heavy sigh, showing that she was obviously nervous about the subject.

_Is it possible that she suspects Count Lucifer is more then he seems?_ Mimi asked herself.

But before she could ask another question, the doorbell rang.

"Luigi and Daisy are here," Peach said quickly. "We can't keep them waiting!"

She swiftly moved passed Mimi and made her way to the entrance hall. Mimi followed her, though she didn't feel like being in that much of a rush. Though her eyes kept looking back behind her, glancing at every little shadow.

Finally, she arrived at the entrance hallway. There, Peach, Luigi, and a girl with long brown hair and wore an orange dress were talking.

_That must be Daisy._

Princess Daisy glanced over at Mimi's direction.

"Is this your friend, Luigi?" she asked.

Luigi glanced over at Mimi and smiled.

"Yep. Hey, Mimi."

"Hey," Mimi replied.

She turned toward Daisy.

"So you are Luigi's girlfriend? He has told me a lot about you. It is very nice to meet you."

Daisy nodded, and though her face showed a friendly expression, her eyes had a cold look to them.

"Nice to meet you too."

There was coldness even in her voice.

Luigi smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you all are going to be great friends!" he said completely oblivious. "I guess that you guys are anxious to start shopping aren't you?"

Daisy smiled, her expression completely changing as she faced Luigi.

"I guess. Are you, Mimi?"

Mimi nodded. "I am."

Her eyes gazed over at Peach, who unlike Luigi, noticed the tension Daisy had towards Mimi.

"I hope you guys have a lot of fun," Peach said. "And remember, Daisy, that this is a _formal_ ball. No tomboy dresses, you here?"

Daisy rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I know Peach."

"I'm just making sure," Peach said. "Last time you came to one of my balls...oh my god, I couldn't believe you wore _that_!"

"Oh come on, Peach! Okay, that dress was a bit more modern with the ripped up mini skirt...but it wasn't _that_ bad! Luigi liked it."

Luigi blushed a bit at the mentioned of his name. Mimi narrowed her eyes a bit at Daisy but no one seemed to noticed. Peach sighed heavily, rubbing her head in embarrassment.

"Yeah..._fond_ memories. Anyway, if you need help with choosing a dress, Mimi can help you. She has good tastes in fashion."

"Yep," Mimi replied trying her best to sound friendly. "I can help you in any way I can."

Daisy smiled slightly.

"Glad to hear. Well, I guess we should go choose our dresses for the ball first, shouldn't we?"

She turned to Luigi.

"Let's go, Luigi! You know this town better than we do."

Taking a hold of Luigi's hand, Daisy dragged him out of the castle, him giving a quick farewell to Peach. Mimi watched them go.

"I don't know what's up with Daisy," Peach said once she knew they were out of earshot. "She isn't normally like this. She is usually so nice and full of energy."

She turned to Mimi.

"Don't be too hard on Daisy, okay? I'm sure you guys will get along eventually. Daisy is really a good friend."

Mimi narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.

"I hope you are right, Peach. Right now, I don't like her _one_ bit."

* * *

"So, Mimi, how long have you known Luigi?" Daisy asked as she and Mimi looked for dresses in one of the clothing stores.

While they went to look for dresses for the ball, Luigi was out in one of the other stores to get some groceries for him and his brother. Though he never said it out loud, Mimi could tell that he didn't want to spend most of the morning in a clothing store, so he causally went to do his own thing. But whether or not leaving the two girls by themselves was the best idea, no one was sure.

Mimi looked pass the line of dresses she was looking at to face Daisy.

"Why do you ask?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Oh, well Luigi never mentioned you to me before," Daisy answered, her eyes on a dress that she clearly had no interest in. "And from the way he sounded, you guys seemed close."

"Well, yeah. We are close friends."

Mimi picked out a blue and white dress from the line of clothes, studying it in the light.

"Yes, but how _long_ you've known each other was my question," Daisy said pushing the subject.

Mimi growled softly.

"We met two years ago and haven't talked since I first came here, which was three days ago."

There was an awkward silence.

"...Why are you asking these questions?" Mimi finally asked. "What does it matter to you how long Luigi and I have known each other?"

Daisy remained silent, picking up a dark orange and red mini dress.

"Because I like to know what friends my boyfriend has," she answered in the most blunt way possible. "Especially if it is a girl who he sounds really fond of."

Mimi's eyes widened.

Suddenly, she threw down the dress she was holding to the ground.

"Okay, let me make this perfectly clear," Mimi explained with such rage. "Luigi and I are _just friends_. Just friends and _nothing_ more! We _never_ had a thing and we will _never_ have a thing! Luigi is a nice guy, and I like him very much, but we are _not_ dating and we will _never_ date! _Ever_!"

Daisy stared at Mimi, completely shocked at her harsh and defensive response. She narrowed her blue eyes.

"...Well you didn't have to yell."

Mimi glared at Daisy for a long moment, before eventually, her gaze soften. Letting out a heavy sigh, Mimi reached down and picked up the dress she threw.

"Sorry, but that is a touchy subject. I didn't mean to lash out at you like that."

It took a long time for Daisy to answer, taking the time to make sure Mimi wouldn't lash out again.

"...Well, I guess I kind of deserve that. I mean, I kind of automatically assumed when he just out of nowhere said..."

She let out a sigh.

"But...what did you mean by that was a touchy subject, if you don't mind me asking?"

There was a long pause, the air filling with tension. Only it wasn't between Daisy and Mimi.

"...It is a long story," Mimi finally answered, saying her words carefully. "It...kind of bring backs painful memories..."

Daisy blinked.

Slowly, a sympathetic look appeared in her eyes. She no longer had that hostile look to her, but now a more curious one.

_I guess her figuring out I'm not trying to steal her boyfriend has made her less of a bitch._

Slowly, Daisy approached Mimi.

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I guess you could say I was overreacting a bit. I tend to do that a lot."

She gave a warm smile.

"But I'm glad that I was wrong about you. I don't want to make enemies, especially in a happy time like this."

She held her hand out.

"So why don't we start over. I'm Daisy, Princess of Sarasaland."

Mimi stared at Daisy for a moment, trying to find the sincerity in her eyes. Eventually, Mimi smiled a bit and shook Daisy's hand.

"I'm Mimi."

Daisy smiled.

"Nice to meet you! For real this time. And now that we are officially friends..."

She let out and awkward laugh.

"Can you help me pick out a dress that Peach will approve? Because apparently my definition of fashion isn't the same as hers..."

She paused.

"In fact...do I even _have_ one? Other then picking out what is cool at the time and what my parents force me to wear..."

Mimi smiled, a true smile, and laughed.

"Oh wow. I can see that you are in desperate need of my help. But not only do we need to chose something that not only will please Peach, but will impress Luigi as well!"


	8. Chapter Eight

As Mimi left the mansion to follow Daisy and Luigi, Dimentio stood in the shadows of the staircase, watching the entire scene from a distance. A small smile appeared across his face.

How amusing.

The hostel look in Daisy's eyes was as obvious a forest fire, for there was no doubt in Dimentio's mind that Daisy thought Mimi was stealing Luigi from her. Amusing it was that someone else would get the idea that Mimi and Luigi were romantically involved with each other.

_But if Little Luigi has a girlfriend of his own then perhaps he will stay farther away from Mimi. Or this Princess Daisy will make sure they stay far apart. _

Dimentio clutched his fists. Though he knew that Mimi had only flirted with Luigi, back when he was Mr. L, to make him jealous, Dimentio couldn't help but be paranoid at the chance that Mimi _did_ develop feelings for Luigi. She had obviously, at dinner the night she came, was super shocked at the fact Luigi had a girlfriend. She and Mr. L were close, and since Dimentio hadn't seen her in two years, with the fact she had seen his true, disgusting abomination of a face...

Why wouldn't she rather want to be with the more handsome man?

_Of course I would have to be damned to not let her go that easily. Oh wait, I am damned!_

But having Mimi back to his side again was itself a mixed blessing. Through the past two years of making him stronger, learning more intense magic, and without her there to distract her Dimentio was able to go back to his cold hearted ways. But now...she had conveniently returned to him in the middle of his plan, and she would be there again to distract him, make him soft. And though he planned on making her come to the Mushroom Kingdom, she had come sooner than he wanted her to.

_But this time I will have to work around my weakness._ _Instead of trying to distance myself from her, I will make sure we stay close so I don't harm her again. So I don't ultimately harm myself._

His last few moments as Super Dimentio flashed back in his mind, the aftermath of meeting Mimi in the garden and showing her who he truly was.

_But...enough about the past. I now need to focus on my newer goal._

Having his sight on Peach, Dimentio calmly walked down the stairs and approached her.

"Good morning, Princess Peach."

At the sound of his voice, Peach jumped and turned around to face him. Dimentio smiled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Peach gave an uneasy laugh.

"That's alright, Count Lucifer. It wasn't your fault."

She smiled.

"Though I am surprised to see you up this early. Usually you don't get up until like noon."

"I'm not a morning person," Dimentio explained coolly. "But today...was just simply different."

Peach was quiet for a bit.

"Was it because you went out with Mimi last night? I saw that you guys leave together."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Have you taken an interest in her, if you don't mind me asking?"

Dimentio chuckled softly.

"Dear Mimi asked if I had plans that night and I just simply accepted her invitation. No harm done."

"I suppose..."

Peach narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Though, I do suggest that you be careful around her, if you do get interested in her."

Dimentio blinked, studying Peach's expression. Peach sighed.

"Look, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, count," she said. "But Mimi has just gotten out of an...abusive relationship."

Dimentio clutched his fist for a second, his muscles tensing.

"Not that I think you would hurt her, mind you," Peach quickly explained. "But...just be careful with her. I would hate to see Mimi hurt again."

Dimentio nodded.

"I will do my best. But do I have to worry about this..._abusive_ boyfriend coming back?"

Peach was silent for a moment.

"...No. He died two years ago. But it takes awhile for old wounds to heal, you know?"

"...Indeed."

There was a small silence as both Peach and Dimentio waited for the other to speak. When neither of them said anything, Peach gave a nervous smile and said, "Well, I'll talk to you later, Count Lucifer. I need to get some...paper work done for the ball this weekend."

She was about to make a run for it until Dimentio made her come to a halt by grabbing her arm.

"I know that you are busy with this ball coming out, princess," Dimentio said. "But I do wish to discuss...on the matter of why I am here."

Peach's face paled as she got herself out of Dimentio's grasp. She kept her eyes to the ground, as if she was afraid to meet Dimentio's gaze.

"Count Lucifer, it's not like I disrespect you or your country... But the Star Rod is something that I just don't think-"

"If you are afraid of me using its power for my own selfish deeds, you are wrong," Dimentio said smoothly cutting her off. "But I need a power such as it to save my people. It is the only effective way that I know can't fail."

"I know, but what if it got into the wrong hands?" Peach questioned, her voice rising. "The last time someone got their hands on the Star Rod, my country was almost destroyed! Bowser misused its magic to heal, to grant wishes for the hopeless, for his own greedy needs! Mario barely was able to stop him, if it wasn't for the Star Spirits lending him their power. And that was just luck..."

She let out a heavy sigh.

"I can't let something like that ever happen again. I couldn't let something that powerful be used for evil again."

"Not that I don't disagree with you entirely, princess," Dimentio replied. "But King Bowser was just an imbecile who got a hold of something powerful. If used in the right hands...the Star Rod can be a great thing."

"You don't think I know that?" Peach snapped. "After I helped seal the Star Spirits' power away from the mortal world, there hasn't been a day where I wished I could just go to Star Haven and use the Star Rod's power. I could do so many great things with it, for my kingdom and for..."

Peach cut herself off, as she realized how worked up she was getting. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she relaxed and finished her rant by saying, "But it isn't my place. I'm just a girl, even without my title as princess. The only way the Star Rod can be used for good, and for good alone, is for it to stay with the Star Spirits."

She gave a small smile.

"Like I told you before, you can pray to the Star Sprits at Shooting Star Summit and see if they can help you. Or I could send some troops or supplies to help your dying people. But I cannot tell you how to get to Star Haven. I just...can't. Now, if you excuse me."

Without giving Dimentio time to react, Peach stormed off up stairs. Though Dimentio let her go this time, for he knew he wasn't going to get anymore information out of her. A small twisted smile appeared on Dimentio's face.

_But even the strongest of wills can break._

_Ding dong_!

The sound of the doorbell made Dimentio jump a bit.

"Ah, the new guests have arrived!"

Toadsworth appeared out of one of the hallways and gleefully made his way to the front door. Dimentio watched him.

More_ guests?_

"Please come in!" Toadsworth greeted. "The princess will be most happy to see you!"

The old toad opened the door wide and two more people stepped inside.

Dimentio's eyes widened.

"This is sure a fine place!" the thick Scottish accented warrior, O'Chunks exclaimed. "I never in my life have seen a place this fancy or colorful."

"Yeah, it is a nice," the beautiful woman Nastasia replied in a soft voice. "But it isn't as grand as..."

Her eyes darkened.

O'Chunks saw the distressed look in his friend's eyes and put his arm around Nastasia, which made her smile a bit.

"I'm glad you like it," Toadsworth said trying to lighten the mood. "Also, from what Princess Peach told me, you two are friends of Miss Mimi?"

"Mimi's here?" O'Chunks asked.

Toadsworth nodded. "Yes, she arrived a few days ago."

O'Chunks smiled. "It will be a big reunion! Not only do we get to see Mario and the other heroes again, but Mimi as well! Isn't that great, Nastasia?"

Nastasia gave a small nod in reply, though her eyes seemed distant.

"Well, I need to tell the princess you are here," Toadsworth finally said. "I'm sure you two are tired from your long journey and all."

He was about to go up to the staircase until he saw that Dimentio was still in the room.

"Oh, I did not see you there, Count Lucifer," Toadsworth said. "Are you looking for the princess?"

Dimentio smiled.

"No, I've already talked to her this morning. I was just passing through."

It took a couple of seconds for Toadsworth to reply.

"...Alright. Then I'll leave you to your duties."

He then went up the staircase. When he was out of earshot, Dimentio turned his attention to O'Chunks and Nastasia.

"I welcome you to the castle," he said. "I did not realize that the princess had so many guests coming. I assume you are here for the ball?"

O'Chunks nodded.

"We are. The lass called us yesterday and invited us to come. It was nice, especially since me and Nastasia here haven't seen the princess in two years."

"Aw, I see," Dimentio replied.

O'Chunks blinked.

"...You have a strange accent," he commented puzzled. "It sounds strangely familiar..."

Dimentio smiled.

"Well, I am Italian."

"I can see that, but your accent..."

Dimentio gave an uneasy laugh.

"I'm sure you are confusing me for someone else. Perhaps you have met someone from my country before."

"'Your country?' You mean you are not from the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Dimentio shook his head.

"My name is Count Lucifer, count from the distant land of _Terra di Desperatio__."_

O'Chunks gave a blank look. "Land of what?"

Dimentio laughed softly.

"I highly doubt you have heard of it. We are a country that likes to keep to ourselves."

There was a short silence.

"...Makes as much sense as a beef and broccoli sandwich, but I'll go with it," O'Chunks finally said.

He smiled.

"But anyways, my name is O'Chunks. And the lass here is Nastasia."

Nastasia blinked at the sound of her name but said nothing. Her eyes were straight at Dimentio, her eyes filled with a loathing glare. Dimentio stared into her eyes for a long moment.

"Pleased to meet you both."

"_Oh my gosh_!"

Everyone turned to the door to see Mimi, Daisy, and Luigi walking in. Mimi dropped her shopping bags.

"O'Chunks, Nastasia!"

She ran towards them and gave them both large hugs. O'Chunks laughed.

"It's good to see you too, lassie. How have you been?"

"I've been good," Mimi replied with a smile. "I'm still loving my job with Merlee and all, but it is nice to get out of Gloam Valley for a bit."

"Same here with Flopside," O'Chunks said.

Nastasia nodded in reply.

"How have you been, Nassy?" Mimi asked her. "I hope you've been doing well for yourself."

"I've...it has been difficult," Nastasia answered. "But I'm getting better. O'Chunks...has been helping me through it all, and it is all thanks to him I'm even recovering."

O'Chunks blushed.

"...I'm just trying helping out a friend in need."

He turned his head a bit, hoping that no one would notice his red face. Nastasia smiled a bit, giggling softly.

"Well, glad to see you three are reunited," Luigi said now finally coming into the conversation. "It's great to see you all again."

"Same here, Mr. L," O'Chunks replied. "Err...I mean Luigi. Sorry, force of habit."

Luigi gave a nervous laugh at the mentioned of his ultra ego's name. He then introduced the O'Chunks and Nastasia to Daisy and the five of them continued to chat away. Dimentio watched the conversation for a bit, but eventually began to head up the stairs. But before he left, he caught the eye of Mimi. They stared at each for a split second, until Dimentio gave her a small smile and walked away.


	9. Chapter Nine

At the night of the ball, Mimi stared at herself in the mirror. She was almost ready, as she was wearing a long elegant white dress with white sparkles in the fabric. The only thing that wasn't complete was her hair, which hung down over her shoulders. A conflicting look appeared on her face.

"…What do you think, Nassy?" Mimi asked. "Do you think I should keep my hair down like this with a little curl or have it up in pigtails like normal?"

Nastasia, who was putting some makeup on in Mimi's bathroom, shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Didn't I tell you before that I'm horrible with fashion advice?"

Mimi face palmed.

"Yes, but you have to have at least _some_ idea of what looks good or not! I mean, you are acting _so_ causally with this! Aren't you a little nervous of what all the guys are going to think?"

"In all honesty, Mimi, impressing a man is the last thing from my mind."

Nastasia narrowed one eye a bit, as she tried to see where she was aiming the mascara she was trying to use. Mimi watched her and let out a heavy sigh.

"Nastasia, you are really hopeless!"

She approached her friend's side and took the mascara away from her.

"Here, let me help you put it on."

With careful focus, Mimi carefully placed the mascara on Nastasia's eyelashes. Nastasia smiled slightly.

"Kind of sad, isn't it? That I can't put on my own mascara. My eyesight is so bad I can barely see it to put it on."

"That's why you get contacts," Mimi answered with a bit of a smart tone. "But mascara is a difficult thing to master, even with good eyesight. You just need practice."

"…And _why_ do I have the feeling you are going to force me to wear this stuff even after the ball."

Mimi couldn't help but smirk.

"Hey, I am determine to get you at least _a bit_ into fashion! I mean…really, Nassy! The things you wear…"

Mimi finished placing the mascara on both of Nastasia's eyes and backed away to studied Nastasia's face. She was silent for a moment.

"…Okay, we are going to need a bit more black eye shadow, and _defiantly_ do something with your hair…"

"Wait, what's wrong with my hair?" Nastasia demanded defensively. "I think it looks fine."

"Yeah, if you were a secretary or something!"

"But that's what I am…"

"Nastasia, just humor me for a bit, geez! Seriously, lighten up. I mean, it's bad enough you are wearing all black tonight!"

Nastasia blinked, looking down at her dress. She was wearing a long, flowing gown that was as black as night, with pure black gloves that went up to the short sleeves of the dress. It made her blue skin appear much brighter, along with her hair and eyes, giving a dark edge to her.

"I'm not saying you look bad," Mimi explained. "But you just seem too…dark and gloomy."

Nastasia studied herself in the mirror. She sighed.

"…I suppose that does reflect how I feel. I just can't seem to find…"

"Happiness? Because of what happened?"

Nastasia blinked, a shock look in her eyes. She turned to Mimi, who was staring at the mirror with a sad look.

"I'm not over Count Bleck's death either," Mimi confessed. "I still have nightmares about him. I will admit, Merlee did send me here to help me forget. And somehow…she knew that you and O'Chunks would come here, so that we may reunite and discuss about the past."

Mimi glanced over at Nastasia.

"How are you and O'Chunks _really_ dealing with what happened?"

Nastasia took awhile to reply.

"…I think it is obvious that I'm not taking it well. Though I never realized that it affected you so greatly, Mimi."

She sighed heavily.

"Even though I see O'Chunks every day since we moved to Flopside, I never once mentioned Count Blumiere or our time at Castle Bleck. If it has affected him as badly as us…he hides it better than we can."

Mimi gave a small smile.

"Yes…he can handle pain better than anyone I know. That is one thing the big doofus has that I wish I had."

Nastasia nodded in reply.

There was a small silence.

"…I think that even after the ball, the three of us should spend more time here at the Mushroom Kingdom," Mimi said. "With all three us together and far away from it all, we could just loosen up and talk about it. I'm sure Peach wouldn't mind if we say a few extra weeks."

"Yeah, that may be for the best," Nastasia agreed. "Because I suspect the main reason why Peach invited O'Chunks and I here was so that the three of us could get together."

Mimi smiled. "You know, that wouldn't surprise me. But let's just worry about the ball for now."

She paused.

"So, about your hair…"

* * *

After spending at least an hour of working on Nastasia's hair and her own, by the time Mimi was finished, the ball had already began. They were thirty minutes late, and by this point, they could hear all of the guests even from being on the fourth floor.

"I can't believe we are late!" Mimi exclaimed as she hurried down the hallway. "_How _did I allow myself to let this happen?"

"Oh, I don't know," Nastasia replied sarcastically as she gestured towards her hair, which was down and slightly curled. "Maybe it had something to do with the fact you were worrying too much on someone else's appearance."

Mimi glared at Nastasia.

"Hey, at least I made you look good! You should really be thanking me."

"I do...at least I think, but you shouldn't be complaining about it. I never asked for you to do this."

Mimi opened her mouth to make a reply but no words came out. Nastasia rolled her eyes.

"Remember when you said you were worried about me being depressed? Well, now I'm worried about you being too excited. Seriously, Mimi, it's just a party. And we are only a few minutes late. It's not like we are missed the whole thing."

She raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"And since when did you start caring about being on time? I cannot even being to count how many times you've been late to breakfast, or to a meeting, or to training..."

Nastasia went on and on, making Mimi turn red in embarrassment. She crossed her arms.

"Hey, at least I'm not O'Chunks!"

Nastasia paused for a moment.

"...Okay, I'll give you that, you are not as bad as he is. But, let's just go before we are even more late, K?"

Mimi nodded in agreement, for she didn't want to waste another second.

She fast-walked all the way to the stairs and then slowed her pace. She, and eventually Nastasia, finally arrived at the ball. The whole entrance hall was crowded with guests, all dressed in the finest of clothing. Beside the staircase was the two doors that led to the ballroom, which was even more crowded with people. Everyone was smiling and chatting away, all having a great time.

"Wow, the place is packed," Nastasia commented. "I've never seen so many people in one room before."

"Yeah, balls like this can get pretty crowded," Mimi said. "My father used to throw a lot of them, and though I was too little to attend them at the time, I remembered how crowded they were."

She smiled dreamily.

"But I always admired how beautiful my older sisters and the other women looked in their dresses, wishing that I was just like them. And now finally being old enough to attend balls, I love every minute of it!"

"I guess that's why you were so worked up about being late," Nastasia said. "...Though I still think you overreacted."

Mimi rolled her eyes in reply.

"Hey, priorities!"

They then made their way to the ballroom, where it was cut in half from a dining area with a buffet to a dance floor. Elegant music filled the room as the couples danced to it. In a way, the couples dancing reminded Mimi the last time she went to a ball and had dancing like this. Her eyes darkened.

_I wonder if he is here._

"Nastasia, Mimi!"

Mimi blinked as she saw O'Chunks, who at least attempted to look 'fancy,' came towards them. At the sight of Nastasia, O'Chunks's face immediately turned bright red.

"Err...wow..." He stuttered a bit as he tried to speak. "You look..."

"Beautiful? Yes, she does," Mimi said, saving O'Chunks from further embarrassment. "And you can thank me for doing a marvelous job!"

Nastasia rolled her eyes, pulling her hair back behind her ear.

"Yes, Mimi, I will give you all the credit. Though I hope your ego doesn't go to your head..."

Mimi gasped, crossing her arms as if she was pouting.

"Hey, I do _not_ have an ego!"

O'Chunks and Nastasia laughed, which eventually made Mimi smile as well.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you guys to have your fun while I go see if there are any cute guys around," Mimi said happily. "Have fun you two!"

Giving a small wink to them as she left, Mimi made her way towards the dining area and the buffet. As she walked, she looked around seeing if she could find her friends.

She saw a glimpse of Mario and Peach dancing, and for the first time since she came here, Peach actually looked like she was relaxed. Sitting at one of the tables, Luigi and Daisy were having a small dinner while being in deep conversation.

But no matter where she looked, there were no signs of Dimentio. A part of her felt relieved that his watchful eye wasn't here, but a part of her also felt disappointed. And also afraid, for if he wasn't at the ball...

"Well you finally showed up."

Mimi turned around to see Bowser sitting at one of the tables with a large plate of food in front of him. Mimi smiled.

"Hi Bowser. I was wondering if I was going to see you here."

Bowser shrugged.

"I guess you are. I admit, I never thought I would see you or O'Chunks again with the whole dimensional thingy and not hearing from you guys."

"Yeah, it has been a long time. But how have you been, Bowser?"

"Wonderful, actually," Bowser answered. "And I don't mean it in a sarcastic way. Ever since the whole 'Destruction of All Universes' thing happened, Mario and I have been on better terms. When we all arrived back at the Mushroom Kingdom, me and Peach made a treaty between our kingdoms."

He growled softly.

"I admit, it isn't the best of treaties, but I only agreed to it because I get to see Peach more often, without me having to kidnap her all the time and her yelling at me and then Mario kicking my butt for the gazillion time. Seriously, that get's _really_ old!"

Mimi laughed.

"I can understand that. I would be frustrated too if I had to deal with that."

"I know, right? Anyways, with me not kidnapping Peach all the time I can focus on building my evil koopa army and improving my evil kingdom's economy which I will eventually-"

"My lord, are you talking about your evil plans out loud again?"

An old magikoopa with a purple robe and hat came by and sat next to Bowser, setting her plate of food down.

"Your evilness, with all due respect, are never going to get anything done but blurting out your plans," she chastised.

Bowser rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Kammy, you old hag! I can do whatever I want!"

Kammy Koopa sighed. "As you wish."

She glanced over at Mimi.

"You must be one of Princess Peach's special guests she was telling Lord Bowser earlier. I'm Kammy Koopa, Lord Bowser's adviser."

Mimi smiled. "My name is Mimi. Nice to meet you."

Kammy Koopa nodded in reply. Mimi then turned back to Bowser.

"Well, it's great seeing you again, Bowser," she said. "Glad everything is working out for you."

"If you can get Mario away from Peach, then yes everything _would_ be working out for me," Bowser replied with a mouthful of steak. "But thanks anyway."

Mimi laughed, rolling her eyes in reply as she walked off.

She went over to the buffet tables and got herself a small plate of the fine foods. She then sat at an empty table and ate slowly, her eyes drifting from place to place.

_Where…_where_ is he?_

"Hey Mimi! Earth to Mimi!"

"Huh-What?"

Mimi blinked a couple of times as Luigi waved his hand over her face.

"Are you okay?" Luigi asked concerned. "You were spacing out really badly."

"Oh…yeah, I'm fine," Mimi replied. "I was just thinking about something."

Luigi raised an eyebrow, studying Mimi carefully. Mimi's heart began to speed up. Luigi sat down next to her.

"Mimi, has Count Lucifer been bothering you?" he asked solemnly.

"N-no, he hasn't done anything!" Mimi answered quickly. "What makes you say that?"

Luigi was silent for a moment.

"…Just a guess. You looked worried so I assumed-"

"Nothing has happened, Luigi."

Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"And if I need your help, I will ask for it. But there are some things…I need to handle on my own."

"So there _is_ something going on between you and him!"

"I didn't say that."

There was a long silence as the laughter, music, and chatter from the party filled the air. Mimi looked away from Luigi.

"Where is Daisy anyway?"

"She's talking to Peach and few others," Luigi answered. "I saw that you were all alone and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well thank you for your concern."

There was a short silence.

"I see that Nastasia is more talkative," Luigi commented as he saw Nastasia and O'Chunks at a nearby table. "I was really worried about her when she first came."

"Same here," Mimi replied. "But she's gotten more comfortable and is feeling more relaxed."

She paused.

"Either that or she is hiding the depression better to not make us worry."

Luigi turned to Mimi.

"Do you think she will even be able to move on?"

Mimi was silent for a moment.

"…I'm not sure. Nassy has always been good at controlling her emotions. I know she is badly hurt, but I do believe she is healing. So long as she doesn't mourn too much about the past, which I believe this place is distracting her from."

_But will she ever heal if she ever found out Dimentio is still alive? _

The thought had crossed Mimi's mind ever since Nastasia and O'Chunks came to the Mushroom Kingdom. Luckily, Dimentio has kept his distance from her, but the possibility of Nastasia finding out that Dimentio was Count Lucifer was almost certain. And how she would react…

_Now I know for certain that I have to keep Dimentio's identity a secret. For Nastasia's sake._

"Luigi!"

Daisy ran up to Luigi and pulled his arm playfully.

"Let's dance for a bit!" she exclaimed happily. "It's getting really late and we have yet to dance!"

"Uh, Daisy," Luigi replied in a soft voice. "I would love to but..."

"It's okay, Luigi," Mimi interrupted. "I'll be fine. Besides, you have to dance with your girlfriend at least once!"

Daisy blinked.

"Oh...is there something going on? I mean, if it is serious..."

"No, we were just chatting," Mimi answered before Luigi could speak. "There is nothing wrong at all."

Luigi narrowed his eyes at Mimi for a split second, as if silently saying that they would talk more later, before he finally got up. Without another word, he took Daisy's hand and they left for the dance floor. Mimi watched them go, sighing a bit.

"Well this is a shock."

Mimi's eyes widened as she turned around to see Dimentio, who was handsomely dressed in all black, approached her.

"I was expecting you to be more active," Dimentio said. "After all, you were so excited for the ball."

Mimi avoided eye contact.

"Well...it just so happens I haven't found any really cute guys here... I'm waiting for the right moment."

Dimentio chuckled softly.

"Yes, I'm sure it is that..."

He slowly walked to her side slowly and offered her his hand.

"And since you are not busy, would you mind joining me for a dance, _bellezza_?"

Mimi stared at him. After a moment of hesitation, she took his hand.

Dimentio smiled and he guided her to the dance floor. Getting into position, Dimentio slowly led the waltz. Mimi mimicked his footsteps, her eyes on the ground as she was careful not to mess up. They danced perfectly for a few minutes, making Dimentio's smile grow.

"You have gotten better since last time," he commented. "You have yet to stomp on my foot."

Mimi smiled slightly, giving an uneasy laugh.

"Yeah...I was pretty horrible back then. I've gotten practice since Merlee had a couple of parties. Nothing as fancy as this, but she was able to teach me a few waltzes."

"And my feet are thankful for that."

Mimi could help but laugh.

"Hey, I wasn't _that_ bad!"

"True, I have seen worse."

Dimentio paused in mid speech.

"...Then again, you were drunk when we did dance, so that could have been the main reason."

Mimi groaned, blushing a bit, as Dimentio twirled her.

"Don't remind me..."

Dimentio laughed in reply.

They then danced for the rest of the ball in silence, both staring into each others' unreadable gazes.


	10. Chapter Ten

"And so the more energy they produce for Merlee's mansion," Mimi was saying as she, O'Chunks, and Nastasia sat at the patio of a cafe. "The more rubees they get paid. It is really an effective method for encouraging more work. For the more you do, the better the reward is."

"That is a really smart idea," Nastasia commented as she took a sip of coffee. "Merlee really knows how to keep her employers going. But what exactly does she need all that power for? She can't possibly use all that energy just for her house and lifestyle."

Mimi paused for a moment.

"Well...she did say that her house does require a lot of energy," she finally said. "...You know, I don't think she ever fully explained it to me. I mean, it's not like there are a lot of houses in the area..."

She gave a small smile and awkward chuckle.

"Or...maybe she did tell me why and I wasn't paying attention at the time."

Nastasia let out a heavy sigh. O'Chunks smiled.

"Well, I guess it isn't that real important, so long as you are living well."

"True," Mimi replied. "But, enough about myself, what about you guys?"

Nastasia avoided eye contact as she continuously took small sips of her coffee. O'Chunks gave an uneasy smile.

"We've...been hanging in there," O'Chunks finally said. "I've been working at the arcade down in Flipside, which pays about minim wage..."

Mimi blinked as she could tell that O'Chunks and Nastasia felt uncomfortable about the subject. Mimi studied them carefully, leaning further into her chair.

"So were you guys having problems paying your bills or something?"

"Err...it wasn't like that, Mimi," O'Chunks explained, though he sounded unsure of himself. "I mean it wasn't like we were living in the streets or anything. Nastasia and I found a nice apartment that I can afford with my pay while also giving Nastasia-"

"_O'Chunks_!"

Nastasia's sudden snapping caused both Mimi and O'Chunks to stare at her. Nastasia kept her eyes on the ground.

"Look...Mimi, I've told you that I am having trouble going through this and I won't even try to deny that everything is fine. But..."

She let out a heavy sigh as she tried to fight back the tears.

"But I ultimately have to deal with it myself. I feel bad enough being so dependent on O'Chunks, I don't want to be dependent on all of my friends. Especially when I should be stronger..."

"But Nassy, that's what we are here for," Mimi said sincerely. "If you need help, I want to do what I can. So what if you are a bit dependent? I don't care so long as you are healing."

"The lass is right," O'Chunks added. "And I have told you since you have moved in with me that it is no burden."

Nastasia tightened her grip on her coffee cup.

"...You guys have no idea how much I appreciate this," she said her voice cracking. "I don't deserve to have friends like you."

Mimi smiled.

"Hey, we have been through a lot. We need to stick together, you know?"

Nastasia looked at her friends in the eye and gave a small smile.

There was a short silence.

"...Though I hate to ruin the moment..."

Mimi and Nastasia turned their attention to O'Chunks, who had a dark look on his face.

"We have talked about the count's death and come to accept it, even though it is painful," O'Chunks said, his voice giving off an unexpected solemn tone. "But there is one thing we have yet to talk about since it all happened."

He paused for a long moment, looking deeply into Mimi and Nastasia's eyes.

"Dimentio."

Nastasia's face gave off a loathing look at the mention of his name while Mimi's eyes darkened, avoiding eye contact.

"I mean..." O'Chunks stumbled his words as he tried to press on the subject. "Dimentio's betrayal was very shocking and we all were greatly affected by it. And though I had some distrust in the lad...I did feel myself to become close to him as a friend. Like the three of us. And it also pains me...that he has hurt you, Mimi."

Mimi could feel hot tears trying to form in her eyes. She clutched her fists as she tried to calm herself down.

"I-I'm sorry," Mimi whispered softly. "I'm sorry that I'm getting so emotional..."

She lost her words as O'Chunks gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, lassie. Let it out."

Mimi gave a weak smile.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, the figure of Dimentio stood at a distance. At eye contact, he immediately turned away and headed down the crowded street. Mimi unexpectedly stood up from her chair.

"Mimi, are you alright?" Nastasia asked shocked.

"Sorry guys," Mimi said not taking her eyes off Dimentio retreating, "but I need to cut this short."

"What? Why, what's the matter?"

But Mimi didn't give time to answer O'Chunks's question as she chased after Dimentio. Eventually, through the crowds of the busy townsmen and traffic, Mimi lost sight of him. She glanced around in all directions.

_Where did he go?_

Suddenly, Mimi found a spark of electricity go through her body as her surroundings changed. She then found herself teleported to the harbor of the town, where there was less people, none of them paying her any attention, and a more quiet environment.

"Sorry to have run away from you, my dear. But I didn't want to take the chance of them overhearing."

Mimi gasped a bit as she turned around to see Dimentio. He smiled and Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"What were you doing there?" she demanded though her voice shook a bit. "I thought you had important 'political' issues with Peach to deal with?"

"I do," Dimentio replied calmly. "But that doesn't mean I can't be in town once in awhile. Besides, I had business."

He gestured to a small sack of books that was placed against some boxed shipments. Mimi moved her gaze from the books to Dimentio.

"Okay...but that doesn't explain why you were at the cafe," Mimi said. "In fact...it looked like you were spying on us."

Dimentio sighed.

"Do you have to question everything I do, like crime investigator when she is trying to solve a murder case? Mimi, I was just simply passing through the area, since the bookstore is across the street from your cafe. It was just coincidence that you three were at the same area that I was."

"So why were you listening on our conversation?"

Dimentio narrowed his eyes. "Because I heard my name mentioned."

"So that gave you the right?"

"If it is about me, then I believe it does. If our roles were reversed, wouldn't you want to know what your old comrades and lover were saying about you, _bellezza_?"

Mimi felt her face flush a bit when Dimentio referred to her as 'his lover.' She stared off into the distance, for she couldn't think of anything else to say. Dimentio studied her, his gaze unreadable. Mimi forced herself to make eye contact with him again.

"So...what were you doing at the bookstore?" she finally asked.

"I bought some books on Mushroom Kingdom folklore," Dimentio answered without any deceit. "I'm researching on a certain legend that I have an interest in."

"And...does that legend have anything to do why you are here? I mean you _real_ reason."

Dimentio smiled mischievously.

"Nothing can get pass you, _bellezza_."

The seductive way his voice sounded made a chill go down Mimi's spine. Dimentio slowly put himself in front of her and started to trace Mimi's facial features with his finger.

"Even after how close we've gotten, you still are able to amaze me," Dimentio said softly. "In fact...one could say that you may be too smart for your own good."

He placed his face dangerously close to hers. Mimi felt herself freeze up, her heart pounding. But in her fearful state, she longed more than anything to press her lips against his.

"_What_ do you think you are doing, Count Lucifer?"

Dimentio and Mimi turned to see Luigi and Mario approaching them. Daisy stood in the background, her eyes wide as she watched the scene. Dimentio glared at Luigi with pure hatred as he forced himself to step away from Mimi.

"Greetings, Luigi," he said in a dangerously low voice. "Mario."

Mario narrowed his eyes in reply while Luigi looked like he wanted to punch Dimentio in the face.

"You might not want to put yourself so close to Mimi like that," he said. "Or someone may think you are trying to take _advantage_ of her."

Dimentio chuckled.

"Are you accusing me of trying to seduce her in public? My friend, we were just having a simple chat."

"Right... Because everyone who has 'simple chats' has their faces so close that they could practically feel the others' breath!"

Luigi clutched his fists.

"Who are you trying to fool?"

Mario nodded in agreement.

The brothers and Dimentio glared each other down, making it look like they were about to fight. Mimi, knowing that a brawl would bring disaster, put herself between them.

"It is true what the count said," Mimi said to Luigi and Mario. "We were really just talking. But...things were about to get out of hand."

She glanced over at Dimentio, her eyes filled with inner strength.

"But it isn't anything I can't handle. For I am not that easily persuaded."

She turned back to Luigi and Mario.

"Let's go."

Taking the hint, Mario led Mimi away from Dimentio and headed towards where Daisy was standing. Daisy gave a concerned look, but did not say anything, as the three of them left the pier. When they were gone, Luigi turned back to Dimentio.

"I don't know what you and Mimi were 'chatting' about," Luigi threatened. "But if you _ever_ try to take advantage of her again, I will personally kill you. She has already suffered because of a dark man like you, and she doesn't deserve to have it happen again!"

And with one last glare, he stormed off.


	11. Chapter Eleven

"Mimi, what is going on?" Daisy asked as she, Mimi, and Mario left the pier.

Mimi kept her eyes in front of her, not wanting to make eye contact with either Mario or Daisy.

"It's nothing to worry about, Daisy," she said in a firm voice. "Trust me, it wasn't as bad as it looked."

"'Not as bad as it looked?'"

Glancing back to make sure they weren't followed by Dimentio, Daisy made Mimi stop walking and made her look at her in the eye.

"Mimi, that guy looked like he was trying to...well, get to you. If we haven't showed up when we did…Mimi, you could have been seriously hurt!"

Mario nodded in agreement.

Mimi looked at both them in the eyes. Taking a step back, she let out a heavy sigh.

"I know what it looked like, but trust me when I say that Count Lucifer won't harm me like that. I know that for a fact."

"And how do you know this for a fact?" Daisy questioned. "How do you know he isn't trying to deceit you into thinking that?"

Mimi was silent for a moment.

"Daisy...this isn't the best place to talk about it," she finally said. "And really, you don't know what you are talking about."

Daisy's eyes flashed with shocked.

"_I_ don't know what I am talking about? For your information, I have known and heard of many girls who have had this type of thing happen to them! And do you know what happened, every time they ignored the signs that their 'man' were using them? They either find themselves raped, sometimes getting pregnant, or even killed! And from what I've seen-"

"And that's just it," Mimi cut her off. "It is more complicated than that."

"But I still don't-"

"And you can't. But trust me when I say that you all, especially Luigi, getting involved will ultimately make things worse."

Mimi made eye contact with Mario.

"I need you two, and somehow convince Luigi, to keep this incident a secret and not let anyone else know. I need you two to stay back and let me handle this alone, for it is the only way."

"Only way for what? Mimi, you are not making any sense!"

But while Daisy was confused and frustrated, Mario's eyes were filled with a great solemn look. Though there was a doubtful look in his eyes, he slowly nodded his head. Mimi gave him a grateful smile_._

_ If anyone is to know about the count's true identity, it is Mario. At least he won't do anything foolish and I can count on him._

She then turned to Daisy.

"I'll see you guys later. I have to go back to the castle."

"Wait, what? Mimi, we are not done discussing this!"

But Mimi completely ignored Daisy's cry and ran down the streets. Mario watched her go, giving off a heavy sigh as he knew that things were not going to get any simpler.

But the true question he had, was it the right thing to let Mimi handle 'Count Lucifer' by herself?

* * *

"Hey, Toadsworth, do you know where Peach is?" Mimi asked as she wondered through the castle.

The old toad blinked.

"Err…I think the last time I saw her she went to Shooting Star Summit to take a walk. She had made the comment she felt a bit stressed and needed some fresh air."

"And when did she say this?" Mimi asked edginess in her voice.

Again, it took awhile for Toadsworth to respond.

"Maybe an hour ago? I don't know, the best I can tell you is to see if she is there yourself."

He smiled.

"Though if I find her while you are gone, I'll let her know you wanted to see her. But do let me know if you find her."

Mimi nodded in reply.

"Okay. Thanks, Toadsworth!"

Quickly making her way out of the castle and down the path Dimentio had shown her, Mimi made her way to Shooting Star Summit. She hoped that Peach would still be there. For she knew that whatever 'legend' Dimentio was interested in, Peach would have to know a lot about it.

_For why else would Dimentio pretend to be a count?_

Finally, she arrived at the top of the summit, and to her relief, Peach was still there. She was looking into the distance, her eyes having a lot of stress in them.

"Hi, Peach."

Peach jumped a bit as she turned to see Mimi approaching her. The princess forced herself to relax a bit.

"Hello, Mimi. I thought you were out with Nastasia and O'Chunks."

"I was," Mimi replied causally. "But I had to come back early. For I have…something very important to ask you, if you don't mind."

Peach blinked, though her face flashed a nervous look.

"…Okay. I'll see what I can do. What do you need?"

"Well…"

Mimi stretched out her words a bit as she tried to make up a lie that wouldn't make Peach too suspicious.

"…You see, the other day I was in the library and I found an interesting book about the Mushroom Kingdom's and its legends. I got really fascinated by them, and I was wondering if you knew any good ones. Like…"

She paused for a moment.

"…Like if there was any about Shooting Star Summit?"

Peach remained silent, her eyes looking over the horizon. Her gaze became emotionless, and Mimi began to fear if she had overdid it. But, eventually, Peach gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm sure you have noticed by now, but the people of the Mushroom Kingdom think highly on the stars. From the earliest time of our history, we have always looked up to the stars, considering them to be gods of our land. And, to a certain extent, they are. For Mario, Bowser, and I saw those star gods, the Star Spirits, ourselves."

Peach paused for a moment, closing her eyes as she went deep into her memories.

"Five years ago, Bower infiltrated the Star Spirit's home, Star Haven. There, he stole the source of the Star Spirits' power, the Star Rod. In legend, it is said to whole the power to grant whoever possess it any wish of their desire. From wealth, to power, to saving a life. You became godlike, for no one could stand against you. Except for the Star Spirits themselves, of course."

"Is there a story of someone ever misusing the Star Rod's power?" Mimi asked curiously. "Luigi had told me what Bowser did, but did anyone else stole it before?"

"Stolen, no. Bowser was the first to even attempt it," Peach answered. "Though many people have prayed to the Star Spirits for power and have misused it. Though their power must have not last it long or they haven't done anything serious to attract attention. As Luigi must have told you, Bowser really didn't do much damage. For all he really did was just kidnap me and caused a lot of trouble. He didn't murder or cause a war, no civilians were killed or seriously injured."

"But did anything like that happen, before Bowser?"

Again, there was a long silence. A small tear ran down Peach's cheek, as she made small sobs.

"...But of all the misuses, there was one that stood out. The story was of a girl who had manipulated the Star Spirits to give her unbelievable power. She was just a simple poor country girl, praying to the spirits. She was said to beautiful and persuasive, and the Star Spirits answered her plea by allowing her to use the Star Rod to make one simple wish. And so, she wished for all the power in the world to help it. But it was all a lie. The girl had an evil heart, and she used her new twisted powers, all from the Star Rod, to almost destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. She was eventually defeated, but at a great price. A whole city was destroyed and hundreds of people were killed. And it all happened because of one evil manipulation."

Peach clutched her fists.

"And it may happen again, for another dark heart is wanting that same power that the girl, the Shadow Queen wanted. For now the only way to fully get the Star Rod and make a wish like that is to steal the Star Rod yourself at Star Haven, like Bowser. And even though that place is now heavily guarded by the Star Spirits, there is always that small chance of destruction happening again, if that person was ambitious enough."

She then turned to face Mimi, looking at her straight in the eye.

"I hope you use this information that I have given you wisely," Peach said solemnly. "For I know another great evil is about to be upon us again."

With one last look, Peach walked away and headed back to the castle. Mimi watched her go, Peach's words repeating over in her head.

The Star Rod...the power to grant you any wish and make you godlike... To make you invisible.

"To create a perfect world without bloodshed."

Mimi began to make her way back to Peach's castle. For now she knew how to confront Dimentio.


	12. Chapter Twelve

But knowing how to confront him and doing it was two separate things.

For the rest of the day, Mimi hadn't seen a trace of Dimentio. She never saw him return to the castle, so she had no way of knowing if he had ever came back or not. But even if she was able to find him, it wouldn't have done her much good. Luigi, along with Daisy, had kept a close eye on her since she came back from Shooting Star Summit. They never mentioned it, but it was obvious that they were still worried about this morning.

Eventually, O'Chunks and Nastasia showed up and were just as equally as concerned. O'Chunks kept asking what happened back at the cafe while Nastasia just gave silent concerned looks. No one had told them what happened, and that was to Mimi's relief. She could perfectly picture what O'Chunks and Nastasia would do if they found out. Violence would accrue, she knew that for a fact.

_But what would be worse, a half destroyed castle or the fact they would realize Dimentio was still alive?_

Eventually, after a long day of being surrounded by her friends, evening came, and conveniently, Mario, Luigi, and Daisy were invited to dinner. And after what happened today...

Disaster was bound to happen.

As Mimi made her way to the dining room, she met up with Luigi as she came down the stairs.

"How are you feeling, Mimi?" Luigi asked. "You're a bit late."

"I was a little tired," Mimi answered truthfully. "I tried taking a nap earlier when I finally had a moment to myself."

There was added emphases on the word 'finally.'

Luigi narrowed his eyes a bit. "It was for your own good. In case _he_ came."

They started to walk to the dining room.

"And frankly, I think you are being foolish for having us keep quiet," Luigi added. "You really need to at least let Peach know so she can keep an eye on him."

"Like I told Daisy and Mario, I can handle it myself," Mimi replied, a little anger rising in her voice. "Your involvement will only make things worse. The count isn't a man to aggravate."

"And _that's_ why we should be doing something!"

"Something should be done, yes, but not like that. I just need you to trust me."

Mimi clutched her fists.

"For if I'm ever going to get over the pain I have in my heart, I have to face him."

Luigi was silent in reply, for he couldn't think of any other words to add. Though he still looked displeased.

Finally they reached the doors to the dining room.

"Count Lucifer is already in there," Luigi said quietly before he opened the door. "Thought I would give you the heads up."

Mimi was silent for a moment. "...Thanks."

_Now just don't do anything stupid!_

She and Luigi then entered the dining room, where everyone else was already finishing their appetizer. Everyone was staring at them, and Mimi forced herself to give a reassuring smile.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I took a nap and over slept a bit..."

"That's okay," Peach replied taking a sip of soup. "We just got a bit worried, that's all."

Mimi took her seat between O'Chunks and Daisy.

"Sorry. But, you know, long day."

"Yes...it has been a long day indeed."

Daisy made a slight glare at Mimi and Dimentio. Dimentio showed no reaction to it, making it hard to tell if he had even saw it. He just sat silently, only having Mario next to him as he drank his soup. And having only Mario to sit next to was probably a blessing, for both Luigi and Daisy looked like they wanted to strangle him. To avoid conversation with anyone, Mimi slurped up her cold soup as fast as she could. There were little conversations here and there, but no one really seemed like in a big mood to talk. One way or another, everyone had something on their mind, and the tensed atmosphere showed it. Eventually, everyone finished their soup and the waiters took them away.

"So...Count Lucifer," Luigi finally said after a tensed silence. "How much longer do you plan on being in the Mushroom Kingdom? You have been here for at least a couple of weeks now. Surely your country needs you back home."

Mimi felt her blood turn to ice.

_Oh no..._

Dimentio gave a small smile.

"Not too much longer, my friend," he replied coolly. "I need to do a few things and then I will be on my way."

"Ah, I see. And what are those things that you have left to do? Has Princess Peach given you all you needed?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of curious to know too," Daisy added. "I've heard very little about you, count. Even from my best friend."

Having her added to the conversation, Peach slouched in her chair. Dimentio chuckled softly.

"Oh, the fair princess had provided great assistance for me. But the last few things I need to deal with are in town."

"Like what?"

"Are you going to question every little thing I do, Luigi? Because I'm getting the intention that you don't trust me."

Luigi's face paled a bit at the dark tone of voice Dimentio gave.

"Well, I've rarely seen high class counts just be at city piers on their own time."

Luigi narrowed his eyes.

"Especially...those who just happened to try to take advantage of brokenhearted girls. Since, you know, it is a dark, quieter place where you would be less likely to be caught."

"_Luigi_!"

Mimi glared at down the table, frustration and fear blazing in her eyes. Peach and O'Chunks gasped and Nastasia's face paled with shock. Mario said nothing and Daisy, like Luigi, was glaring at Dimentio. Dimentio's right eye twitched and he gave a high pitched laugh.

"You are accusing me of a crime I did not commit. Why would I try to harm Mimi like that? I have no motive."

"And yet I saw what I saw."

Luigi stood up from where he was sitting, his eyes never leaving Dimentio's.

"You need to apologize to Mimi for what you did right now!" he threatened. "It is the least you could do after your behavior!"

"Now wait a minute, Luigi!"

Peach's gaze moved from Luigi, to Dimentio, to Mimi.

"Mimi...is what Luigi saying true?" she asked.

Mimi avoided eye contact.

"It was just a simple misunderstanding," Dimentio answered.

"She was talking to Mimi, not you!" Luigi snapped. "You have no control over what she says!"

His anger grew more as Dimentio kept smirking and making small laughs.

"And stop all that smiling and laughing!"

Dimentio continued to laugh, each being more unsettling than the last.

"You are really pushing my patience, Luigi," Dimentio finally said. "I've been polite, but really, you have no right for accusing me. If I really did harm Mimi, it is _she_ who should be talking. For it is the victim who makes the lawsuit, not the out of bound bystander who knows nothing of the situation."

"Yet, justice has to be done," Luigi countered. "And if you want to use comparisons, then you, count, are like a masked man. With the mask on, you seem to be a righteous man who comes with the concern of his county, with a persuasive tongue to get your way. But underneath that mask, your true face is so distorted that you take enjoyment of the most twisted of things!"

Luigi's clutched his fists.

"And you still think I should keep quiet about it, when I can perfectly see my friend will suffer again? She refuses to do anything, but that doesn't mean I will. I will not let another monster harm her with his true intentions again."

As if something snapped inside him, Dimentio rose up and slammed his fists on the table. Everyone, including Luigi, flinched back.

Dimentio breathed heavily for long moment, as he regained his self control. Quietly, and calmly, he stepped away from the table, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"...Excuse me."

He then quickly left the room, no one bothering to stop him.

Once he disappeared from the room, Mimi stood up herself and walked after him.

"Mimi!"

Luigi was about to walk after her until Mario grabbed his arm to stop him. Luigi looked down at his brother in shock, but Mario just simply shook his head. After looking into his brother's eyes for a long moment, Luigi finally sat back down.

Mimi, meanwhile, quickly chased Dimentio up the stairs.

"It's alright, Count Lucifer," Mimi said in a vain attempt to sooth his anger. "Dimentio, Luigi was just overreacting to what happened at the pier. He just...wasn't thinking so clearly."

Dimentio laughed harshly in reply as he quickened his pace up the stairs.

"Honestly, my dear, you are trying too hard to defend that sorry excuse for a man. It was obvious that he clearly knew what he was doing, which was showing his hatred for me. For my ultra ego and my true self. He couldn't do it before because he didn't have an excuse. But that little...incident gave him one, and he is using it to his full advantage."

"But Luigi isn't like that! He's just..."

But no matter what she said, Dimentio wouldn't listen. He kept having small laughing fits, each one more mad and spiteful than the last. When they reached the floor their rooms were, Mimi let out an annoyed growl.

_That's it!_

Without warning, Mimi ran up from behind and grabbed Dimentio's arm. She then teleported them both to her room. Dimentio was taken by surprise and Mimi locked the door. Angrily, she approached Dimentio and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"You have to calm down, Dimentio!" she exclaimed. "If you don't keep your act up your going to get found out! Both O'Chunks and Nastasia know you have a grudge against Luigi, and if you are not too careful, they will find out the truth!"

Dimentio gave a large smile, chuckling.

"Why do you think I left, _bellezza_? For I was to be in that same room with that retched little coward..."

"Stop it, Dimentio, just stop it!"

Mimi put her face extremely close to his.

"You're only going to anger yourself more by thinking about him," she said firmly. "And the more you get enraged the more likely you will do something stupid and get yourself caught, and then who knows what would happen!"

There was a long silence as Mimi and Dimentio stared into each others' eyes.

Slowly, a large grin appeared on Dimentio's lips.

"And even though you are against my plans," he whispered, "you are still trying so hard to protect me."

Mimi's muscles tensed up as she quickly backed away. Many emotions flared in her eyes.

"...I'm trying to protect my _friends_ from _you_. You are the dangerous one."

Dimentio chuckled.

"And yet why do I still see concern in your eyes? Why have you not revealed my true identity to them and have them get rid of me, if you care so little?"

His calm demented look turned into a rage of uncontrollable jealous fury.

"Or are you...just pretending to be concern so that you can protect your precious Luigi?"

Mimi's eyes widened. Dimentio narrowed his eyes.

"Well, is it true? Don't bother denying it, like an innocent child trying to fool her parents. I know you _are_ attached to him. But how much admiration...is there? The surprised look you gave when he mentioned he had a girlfriend, the tension that you and Daisy had when you first met, the _extremely_ protective actions Luigi has given for you..."

His voice became so dangerously low that it felt like ice was stabbing itself into Mimi's ears.

"What game are you trying to play, my dear?"

Mimi looked down at the ground, unable to come up with a reply. For if she said the wrong word...one little mess up could potentially set him off.

Silently, Mimi made her way to the balcony, staring off into the night sky.

"Even after two years, you still can't let go," Mimi said softly, her back towards Dimentio. "You are so afraid of losing happiness that you think the whole world could be a threat. And just because of that stupid, immature mistake I made, you have become so deathly afraid that I will leave you for Luigi, who you know deep down is a more desirable person than you."

She paused for a long moment.

"But I am not Timpani."

Finally gaining the courage, Mimi turned around and faced Dimentio.

"Is that why you want a 'perfect' world so badly? Because you had an accident and was rejected because of it?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"If you want me back, you are going to have to earn my trust. And with trust, I need to know why... Why do you want to destroy everything for such an impossible goal?"

Dimentio stood where he was, his face completely emotionless. Mimi could not tell if what she had said really affected him, but she couldn't help but fear what he would do next. Dimentio stared at the wall, his eyes clouded with deep thought.

"...I suppose you do have a right to know, crediting what we have been through," he finally said. "But, unlike Count Bleck, my reasons are not as shallow, like a fragile, small pond in the summer's heat."

He gave a small smile, a smile that was meant to keep the suffering and pain under control.

"It wasn't just two little things that makes me loathe these cruel worlds. My whole life was completely fucked up and twisted, probably more than you could have ever imagined."

A small demented laugh escaped him.

"As you know, I had lived most of my life as a jester and magician for Lady Timpani's family. For hundreds of years, my family had served her family with our magic capabilities and the fact our bloodline has an..._interesting_ history, one that went into regarding a loss of honor. Though I won't go into detail with that. But my father, who was named Lucifer, spent all of his life trying to restore that honor my family lost. He was obsessed with it, to the point that almost nothing else mattered. But no matter how hard he tried, he could never restore my family's honor, because he needed to be able to control magic so ancient and intense that it could destroy someone's mental state. Now whether it was the magic itself or the fact he couldn't do it, my narrowed minded father went mad with failure. But he was not going to give up, oh no! Not while he was still breathing, and so he went for his next option. And that option was to have a child, hoping that their magic and mental capability was stronger than his, and have his child bring out his dream. In other words...he needed me."

Dimentio's breathing thickened, his body tensing up but yet his voice remained icy and calm.

"My mother, the beautiful Cynthia, was the daughter of one of the servants, and lived in the castle with my father. She was so kind hearted, loyal to anyone in need, and gentle enough to calm the raging sea. But she was also weak minded and physically fragile, making her very dependent. And my cold hearted father took advantage of that weakness…by making her fall in love with him and using her to grant him an heir."

Mimi's eyes widened in shock. Dimentio smiled at her reaction.

"If my father ever did love my mother...I don't know for sure. My father always put his needs above anyone else; love was just an emotion that got in the way. Like when my mother's health was effecting her so much that she had to leave the castle to a place where she could get better treatment. In that time, I was born and lived with her while my father continued to work at the castle. And by the time I was four years old, old enough to start learning magic, he took me away from my mother to become his apprentice in the arts of magic. Because of that, I wouldn't see my mother again until I was fifteen."

"Did you mom approve of your father taking you?" Mimi asked.

Dimentio shrugged.

"I only remember vaguely of my childhood with my mother. But my father persuaded her to let him take me. He used her a lot…which I learned when I saw her again."

He cleared his throat.

"But when he took me to the castle was when I first met the young Lady Timpani. And even at the innocent age of four…I was automatically drawn to her. It was not hard to like her, since she had the same kindness and gentleness my mother had. Which of course my father never gave me."

Dimentio clutched his fists tightly.

"The only thing my father cared about was my advancement in my training. Physically and mentally, he would push and push me until my brain and body was numb. Books upon books, spells upon spells, practice combat upon practice combat… It was a never ending, each more challenging than the last."

He gave a small chuckle.

"Do you remember when you caught me doing those intense battle training exercises, where I was at the point of fainting from extreme exhaustion? I've done that, and even more fierce practices, since I was just a small child. Can you imagine? A little boy fighting for his life by the hands of his own father and acting like it was an ordinary occurrence."

"And Timpani's parents allowed this kind of treatment?"

Dimentio's chuckle grew louder.

"Count Ladislao and Countess Rachele were ignorant beyond comparison. Oh, they knew _perfectly_ well what my father was doing. But they _allowed_ it to happen! They allowed me to be tortured by my own father right under their noses! The count was too cowardly to do anything while the countess refused to do something. And yet, she always said that her people came first… Is it just because I worked at the castle I didn't count in that category? Did my magical abilities made it unnecessary to protect me?"

Dimentio sounded a bit hysterical, his voice growing higher in pitch. Eventually, he gained control of himself and continued his story.

"My father's 'teachings' grew more and more intolerable as the years went on, and I would have lost it sooner if it wasn't for my lady. Lady Timpani was my only friend and she kept me alive. When we were kids, she went out of her way to make sure I was alright, even placing herself in my father's fury. She was like a goddess to me, so powerful and beautiful… How could I _not_ fall in love with her?"

Dimentio slowly approached to where Mimi was standing.

"And then that _arrogant_ bastard, Blumiere, showed up! Lady Timpani had found him unconscious and injured in the woods at the bottom of a cliff one day, and with her caring nature, wanted to help him. Though I hated the idea of caring for a member of the Tribe of Darkness, the Tribe of the Ancient's, mortal enemy, I couldn't reject Lady Timpani's plea. We healed him back to health, me learning about his tribe in the progress. But also in that time…my lady and Blumiere had gotten _quite attached _to each other, and well, you know what happened next. Star-crossed love for them, a stab in the heart for me. When Blumiere had stolen my lady from me, he stole my only grip on sanity.

"My father, during this time, became more controlling and aggressive; Lady Timpani and I grew further apart, and my mother could be at Death's doors at any minute… The final snap was when the fire happened, caused by Blumiere's father, none of the less! I was able to save my fair Lady Timpani from the destruction, for I guided her to safety. But then a burning beam fell from the ceiling and landed on top of me. I was trapped, and my lady tried to rescue me…but then _he_ showed up! Blumiere made the effort to save my lady, and convinced her to leave me, her childhood friend and his romantic rival, in the flames. The flames consumed me…burning off the flesh off my face before I was completely consumed by them and taken straight to hell."

Mimi gasped her eyes wide with horror.

"Yes, my dear Mimi, not only was my face burned away," Dimentio said, his voice cracking, "but my life was taken! I _had_ truly died, taken to the Underwhere and from there, completely lost my mind. My face could not be healed, even by the Underwhere's powerful magic. I was forever to be deformed, to hide behind a mask, to be locked up in hell's insane asylum because I was hopeless! No one cared that I tragically lost my life; no one gave a damn that I was betrayed by everyone around me! And I was not going to be pitied for the rest of my pathetic spirit's existence! And so I preformed the greatest sin one can make, by escaping from the Underwhere and coming back to the living. And I vowed that my death would be avenged in my second life."

Dimentio stared deeply into Mimi's eyes.

"Now do you understand why my heart is full of hate, why I desire a perfect world so much? I had lived an unjustified life, and all I want is the chance to live without fear and torture. All I truly want, as simple as it may sound, is to finally…live a life of happiness. A feeling so foreign to me it is like a going to another country. A country that I know _nothing_ about!"

Dimentio hung his head down a bit, giving off a demented laugh as all the pain came through.

Suddenly, just like the night they were first reunited, Dimentio's left eye became its bright yellow colored as his face morphed back to the scars and deformity that haunted Mimi's dreams. Dimentio smiled, not even bothering to hide his face.

"…And even masks can only last so long, before they too fall apart... Ah…ha…ha…"

He went into a soft laughing fit, which mixed into sobs.

Mimi stared at Dimentio, his vulnerability so opened that she could destroy him right then and there. Then all of her problems would be solved, she could get rid of the monster that would harm her and her friends.

But...could she really kill someone as desperate and hurt as this? For behind the hatred and madness…there was still a man in there.

_For even the darkest of demons don't deserve the cruelest of fates. _

"…Dimentio…"

Mimi put her hand to Dimentio's cheek and made him look at her. Staring into his eyes for a short moment, Mimi gave a gentle smile and hugged him close.

"…I'm so sorry…"

Dimentio's eyes widened in shock, frozen by her actions. Trembling, he slowly put his arms around Mimi and held her tightly, a few silent tears falling from his eyes.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_"I don't want you to end up hurt, lassie. Dimentio could harm you if you are not on your guard." _

_"What's scarier than a creepy-as-hell jester watching you is when that creepy-as-hell jester thinks you're stealing his girlfriend!" _

_"With you always trying to get his attention and you being the only person Dimentio really talks to, I would have thought you guys would have gotten together months ago." _

_"I'm saying that I think Dimentio has had some issues in the past. I think he's been hurt so badly he is afraid to get hurt again."_

_ "However, she did have one friend who disappeared with her. And when the night of the fire happened, he was never found either. No one talks about it though." _

_"No. He would _never _get over Timpani."_

_ "Now do you understand why my heart is full of hate, why I desire a perfect world so much?" _

_"And then you, my dear, came along and ruined it! You distracted me from goal; you made me go mad by making me fall for you!"_

_ "I won't lose you like I did Timpani."_

_ "You will learn to love me again." _

_"For you are, and will always, be mine."_

_ "For if you truly love someone, you never quite fully get over them, no matter how hard you try to deny it." _

Mimi shot her eyes wide open from her sleep, her heart pounding in her chest as the voices in her head continued to speak in her mind. She sat up in her bed, trying to steady her breathing and calm herself down. She glanced over beside her, to see that Dimentio was sound asleep. Unlike her, he seemed to be getting some much needed rest, his breathing calm and his expression looking a bit peaceful. Mimi watched him for a long moment. Gently, she reached over and ran her fingers through his thin hair.

_I should hate him. I should not be comforting him like I am..._

Dimentio mumbled a bit in his sleep, a small smile appearing on his face with Mimi's continuous touch.

_But yet here I am... _

Making sure she didn't disturb him, Mimi quietly got out of bed and put on her robe. In her mind, she was having the same conflict that she had when Dimentio first revealed himself to her. Even days after, she still had no idea what to do.

A broken man...that's all Dimentio ever was. A man...who had suffered to the point of insanity, just desperate for something to go right. He had done terrible things, murder, making people suffer while playing them to be puppets, just to reach one goal. One goal, just the simple wish for happiness.

_If everyone else learned about his past...would they still have the same hatred they have now for him?_

Or was she just too naïve? For something still had to be done, Dimentio was still dangerous, and no amount of sympathy, or even love, could change that.

Wanting to clear her head, Mimi soundlessly left her room and went downstairs for a short walk. She didn't know what time it was, but she assumed it was still very late. Midnight, maybe, for it was still very dark.

She wondered how the others reacted to her and Dimentio leaving dinner like they did. None of them came after her, and she spent the rest of the night trying to calm down Dimentio. What did they say afterwords, how did Luigi take it?

"Can't sleep either?"

Mimi jumped a bit as she turned to see Nastasia coming towards her. Her hair was in a complete mess with black circles under her eyes, making it seem like she hadn't slept the whole night. At least Mimi was able to rest for a little bit, before the nightmares came.

Mimi nodded in reply.

"It's been a long day," Nastasia replied. "I was heading to the garden, to be out in the fresh air and clear my mind. Do you want to come?"

Mimi let out a small yawn. "Sure. But I don't know how long I'll last."

Nastasia gave a small smile. "That's okay. The important thing is to get some sleep."

With something to distract her from her moral dilemma, Mimi and Nastasia silently headed towards the garden. The fresh air of the cool night felt good compared to the humidity inside the castle, making Mimi feel relaxed. Seeing a nearby bench, both Mimi and Nastasia sat down. They didn't say anything, just staring up at the starry sky, the occasional shooting star racing across the sky.

_I wonder_, Mimi thought, _if any of those shooting stars are connected to the Star Spirits who protect the Star Rod? _

"...You know you can't keep this up forever."

Mimi blinked, looking over at Nastasia. Nastasia kept her gaze on the sky, her eyes completely emotionless.

"It is only a matter of time before the others figure it out," she said. "And if you don't want the others to find out, I suggest you start acting more quickly."

"...What are you talking about?" Mimi asked, though she couldn't help the fear in her voice.

Nastasia let out a heavy sigh.

"You know what I am talking about. The moment when you unexpectedly left the cafe, the incident Luigi told about the pier."

There was a long silence as Nastasia glared into Mimi's eyes. Mimi felt her heart stop, her face paling a bit. Nastasia narrowed her eyes.

"So I am right. Count Lucifer _is_ Dimentio."

Mimi turned her gaze to the ground. Nastasia sighed heavily.

"Why are you trying to hide him, after all he's done?" she asked, sounding like she demanded an answer. "You, of all people, Mimi, should not be... I can't believe you would do something like this!"

Mimi clutched her fists.

"...It's complicated, Nastasia," she explained softly. "I cannot... You have no idea... There is just no simple answer to this!"

"So you are going to let him stay alive?" Nastasia's voice was full of deep loathing and rage, sounding like it was just now being able to come out of her. "You are going to let the man who betrayed you, used you for his own selfish ambitions, live freely! The man, who tried to kill us all without a second thought and would _gladly_ do it again! The man..."

Her voice cracked with the last sentence.

"..._The man who murdered Count Blumiere_! And you're just going to let him..._get away_ with it?"

"I'm not letting him getting away with anything!"

Mimi stood up from where she was, walking forward a bit as she tried to calm herself down. Nastasia stood up as well, her tired eyes flashing with grief and hatred as she waited for a reply.

"Nastasia...I had _loved_ him!" Mimi cried her voice cracking with emotion. "I still do... Nastasia, you haven't seen him like I have. I have _seen_ him be vulnerable! And if you could just...see the hurt that is in his eyes..."

The image of seeing Dimentio unmask himself at Castle Bleck's garden flashed in her mind.

But no matter how sincere Mimi's word seemed, Nastasia remained unconvinced.

"So he has gotten you to pity him?"

"He _hasn't_ gotten me to do _anything_!" Mimi exclaimed defensively.

"And yet he still did all those terrible things. He still killed Count Blumiere."

"Is that why you hate him so much?" Mimi turned around and glared at Nastasia. "Because he helped bring the death of Count Bleck?"

Nastasia's eyes widened.

"I grieve for the count just like you," Mimi continued coldly. "But even if Dimentio didn't betray us, wouldn't the results of the Chaos Heart still be the same? Count Bleck would have died either way, and you know it."

"So that justifies what he has done? All because he was rejected by Lady Timpani, he has the right to kill?"

Nastasia paused for a minute, her breathing becoming heavier.

"I assume you know about his past, if you've seen him 'vulnerable,'" she said. "I hope you do also realize that he was madly obsessed with Timpani to the point that he couldn't let her go! Count Blumiere is just as much as the victim of that tragedy as Dimentio was, if Dimentio was at all! And, ironically, the same thing is happening again! Only it isn't Timpani that he is stalking this time...because he found someone else! And that someone is you, Mimi! And now Luigi is going to pay the price for it, just like Blumiere almost did. Leaving Dimentio in the fire to die was probably the best decision for him to make, to protect his own life and Timpani's."

"And that is the thing," Mimi countered frustrated, "killing Dimentio and confronting him aggressively isn't going to solve the problem! If anything, it is going to make things _worse_! Luigi proved that tonight, as Dimentio was almost at the verge to kill him right in front of everyone. And if I didn't go after him like I did, he probably would have done it!"

She narrowed her eyes.

"And just so you know, it wasn't just Timpani and Count Blumiere that made him the way he is. Dimentio told me himself that he also had an abusive father, a dying mother who he barely knew, and got his face melted off because of Blumiere's actions. Timpani was the only good thing he had ever known, and those other events added together made the obsession, until finally, the final snap. Both Blumiere and Dimentio have suffered, and I believe they have both paid for their actions."

Mimi's gaze softened a bit, a tired look forming in her green eyes.

"Blumiere has moved on, and now it is Dimentio's turn. Nastasia, I know you have been through a lot, but trust me when I say that revenge isn't going to solve anything."

She paused for a long moment.

"...I don't know if you know this, but Blumiere gave you a second chance at life so that you could be happy and not have him overshadowing your life. If he was still alive with us right now, he wouldn't want you to be obsessing over revenge. Enough people have died because of what happened, enough people have suffered."

There was a long silence as both Nastasia and Mimi stared into each others' eyes. Great emotion was in both of their gazes, and Mimi could tell that Nastasia was taking this very hard.

_But she has to move on! We all have to.  
_

Eventually, Nastasia turned away from Mimi and calmed herself down, letting out a sigh.

"...Has Dimentio ever told you what he is doing here?" Nastasia finally asked, her back towards Mimi. "I mean he must have a purpose, and I'm sure it isn't a good one. We can deal with Dimentio's fate later, once we have stopped him from doing any more harm."

"I agree on that," Mimi replied, smiling a bit now that her and her friend were no longer arguing. "And fortunately, I know what he is after."

"And what is that?"

With that, Mimi explained everything she learned, from the Star Rod to the Star Spirits themselves, including some details Dimentio said himself about his plan. Nastasia remained silent the whole time, listening to every word Mimi said carefully. However, she still refused to face her.

"So, I assume that you want to get the Star Rod before Dimentio does?" Nastasia said once Mimi had finished. "Because you know he will find a way to steal it, just like Bowser did."

Mimi nodded.

"Yep. But as long as I can keep him calm, I could probably persuade him not to do it."

She gave a small smile.

"I know you think this is foolish, Nastasia, but we have to at least try. There is a chance to save him. If you just leave everything to me, everything will be over soon."

There was a long pause, as Mimi waited anxiously for Nastasia to reply. Nastasia kept silent, deep in thought. A dark shadow casted itself upon her face.

"...I don't want you to get hurt again, Mimi. And I do treasure you as a friend," Nastasia finally said softly. "But I won't let Count Blumiere's death go unpunished either. For my love for Blumiere is like yours for Dimentio."

She then started to make her way back to the castle. But before she left, she gave one last look at Mimi.

"You do what you think is right and I will do what I believe is right. Hopefully, it will work out in the end."

And with that, Nastasia disappeared.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

As sunlight gently drifted into the room, Dimentio slowly opened his tired eyes. He blinked a couple of times, trying to remember where he was. As his vision cleared, he saw that Mimi was lying right beside him, sleeping like the dead. Dimentio sat up a bit, his long bangs falling in his face.

So...it wasn't a dream.

It wasn't a cruel trick that his mind had played on him. He had really spent the whole night with Mimi, she had _really_ been there. It was almost like...when Timpani had been by his side all those many years ago. Dimentio smiled a bit.

Ah, love was a bitch.

Just like two years ago, Mimi was again messing with his motives. Tearing him in two, one half of him wanting to continue his plan, to create his perfect world. And the other half saying to just give it up; just take the chance and try to create a normal relationship with Mimi. A normal relationship...would he be able to do such a thing? After all he has been through? And what if something went wrong, what if Mimi decided she didn't love him anymore? He couldn't afford that, not again.

_But once my perfect world is created, I would no longer have to worry about that. Everything would be just as it should be..._

Dimentio touched his face, feeling the rough, burnt skin and bone. Making sure he didn't disturbed Mimi, Dimentio got out of bed and walked toward Mimi's bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, his heart cringing at the sight of his melted face. Closing his eyes, he chanted a spell and his face transformed into his once handsome face. He reopened his eyes, staring at the shadow of who he once was. He didn't know who he hated more, the broken, naïve, pathetic boy who was betrayed by everything he had ever known. Or the disfigured, paranoid, crazy with ambition jester who could be distracted with just the sight of a pretty girl. Either one of them was imperfect and weak. Though only _one_ of them could become perfect and strong.

Casting one last spell to hide his yellow eye, Dimentio left the bathroom and stood over Mimi for a long moment. This moment reminded him of when they had their first date, where he took her to bed after getting drunk. He had seen her like this, and it was the first time that he admitted his feelings for her. And this moment was no different, for now he admitted her as not only a weakness of love...but perhaps a motivation. That's what his father had thought of his love for Timpani, motivation to get stronger. Maybe this wasn't so different.

But _what_ was she motivating him to do?

Leaning in close to her, Dimentio put Mimi's hair behind her ear and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Mimi muttered a bit in her sleep, but didn't seem to be fully aware. Dimentio couldn't help but smile. Quietly, he snapped his fingers and teleported back to his own room, where he changed into some fresh clothes to start the new day. For his plan would soon be into action, the Star Rod would soon be his. That was, of course, once he got that one last detail.

Not feeling in too much of a rush, and his night with Mimi still fresh in his mind, Dimentio decided to go out and took a walk to Shooting Star Summit. Though he had done a complete search of the place, it wouldn't hurt to take one last look to see if he couldn't find any more information on the Star Rod or Star Spirits. Since it was still early in the morning, the place was completely deserted and quiet. Dimentio smiled when he arrived, walking towards the edge of the plateau and looking out into the distance. And for once, allowed his mind to wonder. One moment of relaxation before the dawn of his new world.

"Is that you, Count Lucifer?"

Dimentio blinked as he turned around to see O'Chunks coming up. Dimentio gave a forced smile.

"Hello, O'Chunks. What brings you up here?"

"Just taking a short walk," O'Chunks replied making his way towards Dimentio. "I saw you on my way back to the castle and I wanted to talk to you."

Dimentio raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what do you wish to talk about, my friend?"

O'Chunks stood next to him, his eyes drifting off to the distance. He then made eye contact with Dimentio, and the dark look in his eyes made Dimentio flinch a bit.

"I wanted to know if it was true," O'Chunks finally said. "What Luigi said last night. Did you really try to harm Mimi?"

The seriousness in his voice was very cold and demanding, a tone of voice that Dimentio didn't think O'Chunks possessed. And yet, Dimentio couldn't keep from smiling.

"Like I said last night, what Luigi saw was just a misunderstanding," he answered. "He really needs to learn to keep to himself if does not yet know the whole story."

O'Chunks gave a puzzled look. "So did something happened between you and the lass?"

Dimentio gave a small chuckle. "It isn't anything like that. And really, it isn't your business."

"I believe that it is." O'Chunks narrowed his eyes. "Mimi is my friend, and it is my job to protect her if I feel like she is danger."

"So are you accusing me like Luigi?" Dimentio questioned, slightly angered. "Are you going to accuse me of being a predator without any solid proof? That I am a sociopath?"

"I never said that. The only reason why I am this concern is the fact that you are too much like her last love!"

Dimentio blinked as O'Chunks turned away from him. O'Chunks let out a heavy sigh.

"Look, I don't mean to offend you count, but you really have _no_ idea what that girl has been through," he said. "Back when me, her, and Nastasia worked together, we had another coworker who was very similar to you. Mysterious, calm, a person who could really see through you. Mimi chased him throughout our time together, and back when I first met him I didn't really like the lad. I thought he was dangerous, like Luigi thinks of you, and yet she still went after him."

He paused for a moment.

"And then...I actually believed that he _had_ come to care for her. He wouldn't admit it, but he would be very protective of her and would be by her side any chance he got. The look in his eyes...you could really see love in them for her, and for her alone. Everyone in the castle knew it, and it made me happy to see the mostly crazy jester actually love someone. Same with Mimi, since she cared so much for him."

A sad look appeared in O'Chunks's gaze.

"But then things went wrong for them. Jealousy and insanity took over until finally he betrayed us all. It is a long story, but in the end, he did die for his actions and it crushed Mimi. Even now, two years later, she still hasn't recovered and probably never will. And the fact that they were so close makes it even worse! It makes me sad, to think what could have been."

O'Chunks looked into Dimentio's eyes.

"I have nothing personal against you, count, but I'm just afraid what will happen if Mimi...gets attached to you. You are so much like _him_, that it might bring up old wounds. And so, I ask you this..."

He paused for a very long moment.

"Do you in return have feelings for Mimi?"

Dimentio stayed silent.

He avoided eye contact with O'Chunks. He turned his back toward him and moved away a bit, for he did not want O'Chunks to see the expression on his face.

"...I will admit that Mimi is a very charming girl," Dimentio said softly. "I'm not the type of person to show affection to anyone so easily. For affection, love, shows weakness, complicates everything you know or do."

He paused.

"...And yet, it still happens, even if you try to stop it. Mimi is a very...special person. To tell you how I feel about her...ha! You have no idea what..._affection_ I hold for her. And I can safely assure you that I do not intend to harm her in any way. Especially not like _that_, as Luigi says."

He then turned to face O'Chunks, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Now it is my turn to ask the questions," Dimentio said. "You tell me that this person who betrayed Mimi was a horrible person. And yet you sound sympathetic to him, like a cop showing mercy to a murderer. So let me ask you this. Do you, O'Chunks, hate this man?"

O'Chunks gave a puzzled look, as if the way Dimentio was responding was the strangest thing he had ever seen. He stared at Dimentio for a long moment, and then looked down at the ground, at his feet.

"...I don't know," O'Chunks finally said. "I know Mimi still loves him, despite all he has done, and Nastasia despises him with a passion. But myself...I can't say. If there is one thing I can say that I defiantly feel for him, it is pity. Because the lad _could_ have been someone great, someone admirable and successful. I didn't know him personally, but I could tell that he had some problems, and it makes me sad that he couldn't face them. If he had just stayed loyal to Mimi, gave her the love she deserved, he might have ended up happy. But he couldn't figure that out, and that...is just tragic."

He looked back up at Dimentio.

"Maybe...now that he is in the afterlife, or where ever we go when we die, he has figured it out. That's all I can hope for."

O'Chunks then started to make his way back down the plateau. But before he left, he gave Dimentio one last look and said, "Well, I'll see you later, count. Nastasia and I are going to pay one of our old friends a visit. Hope everything works out for you."

And with that, he left. Dimentio watched him go, so many thoughts going through his mind.

If there was one thing he didn't expect, it was that kind of response from O'Chunks.

Pity...he _pitied_ him after almost getting him killed! No hate, no loathing, no desire to kill him or make him suffer... He doubted that the others felt any thing other than hate towards him, which was what they were supposed to feel!

_All except Mimi...and now O'Chunks..._

Dimentio stared off into the distance again.

Why..._why_ did everything have to be so complicated?


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Oh God, where is he, where is he?_

Mimi dashed out of her room in the late afternoon, fear running through her mind. She had only just now woken up from her dreamless sleep, finding out that Dimentio was gone. In a slight panic, she began to search the castle.

Where could have Dimentio gone? Had he calmed down? Where was Luigi?

Mimi's eyes widened.

_Luigi!_

Half running, half walking, Mimi quickly went down the stairs. When she arrived down by the entrance hall, she saw that Daisy was there.

"Daisy, have you seen Luigi?" Mimi quickly asked.

Daisy turned to face her, her eyes widening.

"Mimi! Are you alright? No one has seen you all day!"

"I…uh, just woken up," Mimi explained, stuttering a bit. "But…where is Luigi?"

"He and Mario are here, in the castle. Looking for you, actually."

Daisy narrowed her eyes.

"You seem a bit flustered, Mimi. Is there something wrong?"

Mimi gave a forced smile, trying to calm herself.

"Eh…no. Not…really. I, uh…"

Her stuttering continued as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"I…just need to ask him something, that's all."

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Really? Is that all?"

Mimi nodded. "Yep. Truly."

Though Mimi tried to keep up the confident look, Daisy remained unconvinced.

"By the way, Daisy," Mimi said, changing the subject. "Have you seen Nastasia or O'Chunks today? I bet they are really worried about me for sleeping in so late."

Daisy shook her head.

"I haven't. Luigi, Mario, and I have been here for a few short minutes. I'm supposed to take Peach out shopping today, since she is very stressed out at the moment. If you want, Mimi, you could come with us."

Mimi smiled. "Thanks, but maybe some other time. Right now…"

A loud growl came from her stomach.

"…I need to get something to eat. I'll see you later, Daisy."

Without waiting for another reply, Mimi quickly left and went down to the kitchen.

Okay, so she knew Luigi was safe, so that meant that Dimentio had obviously calmed down. But then _where_ was Dimentio, or for that matter, where was Nastasia and O'Chunks? What could they possibly be doing out? Mimi felt her head beginning to hurt, probably from hunger.

Once she finally reached the kitchen, Mimi got some cold cuts from the fridge and made herself a sandwich. She then leaned against the counter and began to eat it, many thoughts going through her mind.

"What are you doing here all by yourself, my dear?"

At the sound of Dimentio's voice, Mimi almost choked on her sandwich and quickly turned to face him.

"D-Dimen-" She had to cut herself off to not shout out his name. "…Don't scare me like that! Can't you just come into a room like a normal person instead of teleporting right behind them?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Dimentio said innocently. "But I did use a door, not teleportation."

He pointed to the back door, which was opened. Mimi blinked, looking slightly embarrassed. Dimentio smirked.

"So yes, I did come into the room like a normal person."

"I…well, congratulations; you can operate a door without magic!"

Mimi quickly took another bite of her sandwich, turning her back on Dimentio. She waited for him to make some smart comment, say a clever smile and make some attempt to flirt with her.

But…nothing came.

There was just an eerie silence, a silence that made Mimi's spine tingle. She glanced back at Dimentio, who was staring off into the distance. His eyes…he seemed distracted, confused even.

_Something's not right._

"…Are you okay?" Mimi asked concerned.

Dimentio looked into her eyes. He stared at her for a long moment.

"…Mimi, would you mind if I talk to you in private?" Dimentio finally asked solemnly.

Mimi blinked. "Uh…sure. Is there something wrong?"

Dimentio avoided the question.

Making sure no one was looking, Dimentio quickly took Mimi's hand and they teleported out of the castle. Mimi gasped, the air around her changing dramatically. She looked around, recognizing the bright green landscape of Dimension D. Though relatively the same as before, the whole atmosphere was tensed and the air was a bit harder to breathe. Dimentio began to pace a bit, his expression changing dramatically from calm to conflicted.

"Um…so, what is the problem?" Mimi asked. "Dimentio?"

Dimentio didn't seem to hear her, his eyes moving wildly. He suddenly stopped moving, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Ah ha…tell me, Mimi, do you like the world you are living in?" Dimentio suddenly asked. "You have had a hard life yourself…but yet you don't want to destroy everything that caused you pain. Including myself."

Mimi gave a puzzled look.

"What do you mean? Dimentio, I'm not understanding-"

"I'm asking why you refuse to hate," Dimentio said, cutting her off. "Why do you still continue to love and protect after everything that has happened?"

He looked deeply into her eyes.

"_Why_ did you let me go when I was at your mercy in Castle Bleck's garden?"

Mimi's eyes widened. Her heart stopped for a moment, the question itself repeating in her mind. She looked down at the ground, trying to come up with an answer in her mind.

"…I guess because I couldn't bring myself to live a life of hate," Mimi finally answered softly. "Though my father was a self-centered jerk, my sister, Lillian scared me for life. Though Count Bleck lied to me, and you broke my heart… I couldn't bring myself to hate, for I could still see the good things. My father protected me from the dangers of the dark and kept me safe as a kid. Lillian made me grow stronger, even if her intentions were the opposite. And she was still my sister, who had her own difficulties. Count Bleck was my hero and helped me become a better person. He, O'Chunks, Nastasia, and Luigi all became like a second family to me."

Slowly, Mimi raised her head and locked her eyes with Dimentio. She gave a gentle smile.

"And you, Dimentio, are my first love. Sure, before I had a bunch of little crushes on other boys, but you were the first one that I had _truly_ loved. And I only realized it when…you took of your mask. Yes I was shocked, maybe a little disturbed, by it, but it didn't make me see you any differently, didn't make me stop loving you. You were still Dimentio, even if you weren't all I fantasized about."

She took a step closer to him.

"And if you want an honest answer, I couldn't kill if you even if I wanted to. That was why I let you go at Castle Bleck. Because I still love you. And those feeling have not changed."

There was a long silence as Mimi and Dimentio stared into each others' eyes. Tears trying to form in Dimentio's eyes, he turned his back to Mimi as he tried to calm himself down. Mimi waited patiently, her eyes never leaving him.

Dimentio gave a small mad chuckle.

"Ah…you are defiantly going to be the end of me, Mimi! Tearing me in two between my goals... Ah ha ha ha…"

Mimi blinked. Dimentio then turned around, a large smile on his face, his eyes shining in a new light.

"Now, let me ask you one last question," Dimentio said. "You say that you love me, despite all I have done, even to this point."

He began to pace around her, though his eyes remained locked on hers.

"Now let's say that I, for whatever reason, decided to give up this whole idea of creating a perfect world by destroying all previous worlds," Dimentio continued. "But I would only do so if you, Mimi, decided to be mine for the rest of your life. You and I would leave our old lives behind and move to a new dimension where no one would find us. Where we could live together and be happy…despite the flaws of that world and my insanity, which only you could control."

Mimi's eyes widened.

"Are you saying…?"

Dimentio stopped his pacing right in front of her and smiled.

"That I am willing to give up my ambition just to be with you? Perhaps…if given a good enough reason to. I will always want to create a perfect world, but I may be able to put one priority above the other if-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence as Mimi put her finger on top of his lips, silencing him. She smiled, tears in her eyes.

"Ah, you never give straight answers," Mimi said, her voice cracking. "You always have to make things a riddle, don't you? Honestly, if you can enter a room like a normal person, can't you also talk like a normal person?"

She put her arms around his neck.

"…Actually, if you can stop talking all together and just kiss me, that would be even better."

Without another word, she kissed him. In response, Dimentio brought Mimi closer to him and started kissing her back fiercely. Mimi giggled a bit, leaning in further into him, making Dimentio fall to the ground, her on top of him. Mimi moved back a bit and smiled.

"Hey, I think this is the first time that you actually kissed me without hesitation!" she exclaimed in triumph.

Dimentio smiled. "Well, _bellezza_, you just offered yourself to me, so why not cut loose?"

"Ah, so the only way for our relationship to go to the next level is for me, _the girl_, to make the next move?"

Mimi gave a mischievous smile.

"Then I guess I should lure you into my bedroom sometime, if I can get reactions like this out of you."

Dimentio laughed.

"Are you trying to seduce me, my dear?"

He let out a dramatic sigh.

"And yet everyone thinks _I'm_, like the dominant male, is the one seducing you…"

Mimi laughed, helping Dimentio stand up.

"But…I'm glad that you are doing this, Dimentio," Mimi said sincerely. "I promise I will try to make the rest of your life as perfect as I can."

Dimentio smiled, running his fingers through her hair.

"I think you will have _no_ trouble in doing that, _bellezza_, so long you stay by my side."

Mimi smiled.

"Yes…but may I ask you something before we runaway together?"

"And what is that?"

Mimi hesitated for a moment.

"…I want to have O'Chunks and Nastasia know. I know you may not want anyone to find out…but I have to at least have _them_ know."

Dimentio's eyes darkened.

"O'Chunks I don't have a problem with knowing, but Nastasia is different story. She would never approve, she would try to break us apart."

"I know, but I need to tell her," Mimi replied firmly.

Dimentio raised an eyebrow.

"…Why? Why is it so crucial, like an important plot point in a story, to tell her?"

"Because she is one of my closest friends."

Mimi looked into his eyes.

"Just let me tell them, and then we will leave. I won't even tell Luigi or the heroes. Just O'Chunks and Nastasia."

There was a long silence. Finally, Dimentio let out a heavy sigh.

"If that is your wish. But I'm going with you to tell them."

Mimi smiled, taking a hold of his arm.

"Okay. After that we will have to stop at Madame Merlee's place so I can resign my job, and then we can start looking for a new dimension to call home!"

Dimentio smiled back. "I'm…looking forward to it."

With a snap of his fingers, Dimentio teleported them back to the castle. They arrived back in the entrance hall, right next to the staircase.

But then they saw that Peach, Daisy, Luigi, Mario, and Toadsworth clustered around the front door. Both Mimi and Dimentio looked passed them to see a person standing at the door, being a man that Mimi had never seen before.

He was a tall elderly man wearing an outfit similar that Dimentio used wear at Castle Bleck, having black pants and sleeves with a gray and black poncho and a gray, white, and black jester's hat. He had bright yellow eyes, which seemed to bring fear to any person's heart.

"Who are you?" Peach asked nervously.

The jester smiled.

"Greetings, Princess Peach," he said in a smooth voice. "My name is Lucifer and I was hoping you could help me find my son, Dimentio."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"'_Dimentio_?!'"

Peach seemed to cough up her words. Mario's eyes widened and Luigi's face turned as white as a ghost. Lucifer smiled.

"Yes, I've heard you know him quite well, my lady," he said. "Though I hate to bring up bad memories, I really must find him."

His eyes then moved towards the back of the room, where Dimentio and Mimi stood. Dimentio's face was drained of any color it had in it, looking like he was about to faint. Mimi quickly gave him her support, for fearing he would fall. Lucifer saw them and his yellow eyes glowed.

"Ah, there you are, my son."

He pushed his way past Peach and Daisy and approached him. In immediate response, Dimentio narrowed his eyes and threw a purple and yellow electric sphere at his father's feet.

"Stay away from me!" Dimentio screamed at the top of his lungs. "_Stay away_!"

Lucifer took a step back, a surprised look on his face. But it quickly faded away, replacing it with a slightly amused look.

"Now, now, Dimentio. Is that _any_ way to treat your father?"

Lucifer gave a heavy sigh.

"I see that your manners haven't improved much."

Dimentio shook, though it was hard to tell if it was in rage or fear. Lucifer laughed, a laugh very similar to Dimentio's.

"But that is the least of your problems. The Chaos Heart, the Dark Prognosticus, trying to create a perfect world? Ah…you really have changed from the boy I raised…"

"H-how do you know about that?" Dimentio demanded, unable to keep from stuttering. "And why do you sound so disappointed? I would think you would have been proud of me trying to accomplish something so ambitious!"

"Trying and succeeding are two different things. And you failed. Then again, you could never fully succeed to your fullest potential."

"_Shut up_!"

Dimentio threw another sphere, but Lucifer was quick enough to doge out of the way.

"And your temper has grown out of control. And with no Timpani to put you back into place."

"Do. Not..."

But Lucifer wasn't listening, for his attention was now on Mimi. He slowly came closer, but Dimentio quickly put himself in front of her.

"If you dare come near her..."

"So you are now the object of Dimentio's affections now?" Lucifer said completely ignoring Dimentio. "Mimi, isn't it?"

Mimi said nothing in reply, her eyes completely locked on Lucifer's. Lucifer smiled.

"You do seem like a charming girl, especially from what I've heard. Though I'm sure it won't be long before you betray my son like Timpani did."

Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"I would never hurt Dimentio like that," she said in a low voice. "You can be sure of that."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, are you so certain? But I'm sure you will find some other man with more potential and successful."

Each word seemed to hit Dimentio straight in the heart, for his face glowed with every negative emotion imaginable. But Mimi continued to stay calm, even moving a step closer to Lucifer.

"Why don't you just go right now before anything bad happens," Mimi said. "You are not welcome here."

Lucifer gave a harsh laugh.

"You really think you can just _ask_ me to leave?" he said with mockery. "I'm not leaving here without my son. And there is nothing you can do to change that."

Mimi narrowed her eyes. "Then you will have to get pass me."

Lucifer's eyes glowed with that response, lifting up his hand and projecting a gray and black electric sphere. Dimentio's eyes widened.

"_No_! I won't let you take her!"

Without warning, Dimentio quickly grabbed Mimi's arm and teleported out of the castle.

"_Dimentio_!"

In response, Mimi tried to teleport them back. With the collision of their magical demands, they both appeared in a dark forest outside of Toad Town.

"Dimentio!" Mimi exclaimed, getting her arm out of his grip. "What was that for? I could have beaten him!"

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" Dimentio gave a high pitched laugh. "Oh no, my dear. You couldn't defeat him! He would have killed you within a split second!"

"So what did you want me to do?" Mimi asked angrily. "Just let him taunt you like that? No! I won't stand for it! I won't let him hurt you like he did before."

"Oh, Mimi, you don't understand..."

Putting his hand on her shoulders, Dimentio brought Mimi close to him, their nose tips touching as they stared into each others' eyes.

"Mimi, that is _exactly_ what he wants you to do!" Dimentio said softly. "He wants you to fight him so that he has an excuse to kill you! For he knows he will destroy me if you die."

Mimi blinked, her gaze softening a bit.

"And...how do you know that is what he wants?"

"Oh, I know my father," Dimentio replied, stepping back to give Mimi some space. "He wants me to be the perfect magician, and anything he sees as distractions he will do whatever is in his power to get rid of it. And, oh and, he would also like to get even with me! For he has probably found out, or realized..."

Dimentio started to laugh hysterically again, leaning against one of the trees as he tried to control himself. Slowly, Mimi moved next to him, trying to calm him down.

"Dimentio, it's okay," Mimi whispered gently. "It's all going to be okay."

At the sound of her voice, Dimentio slowly started to calm down, his laughs becoming softer and softer. Mimi made him sit down against the tree, her rubbing Dimentio's back to give him some sort of comfort. Dimentio rubbed his forehead, as if he had a huge migraine. Eventually, he settled down, leaning against the tree and closing his eyes. Mimi pulled back his long black bangs.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

Dimentio smiled.

"'Better?' As long as my father is still in the flesh I will never be 'better.' He will always come after me. I will never be free of him."

"Don't worry, we will get rid of him," Mimi said. "I will find a way to stop him, I promise. But first, we need to get you somewhere safe."

"Are you suggesting that you leave me somewhere and then you go out and face him?"

Dimentio quickly sat up, his eyes burning into Mimi's.

"Oh no, I will not stand for that," Dimentio said in a dark tone of voice. "You are not leaving my sight. I will not take the chance of losing you. Not while I'm so close..."

"_What_? Dimentio, don't be-"

Mimi stopped herself at the mad, possessive look in Dimentio's eyes. Taking a deep breath of air, she made Dimentio sit back against the tree.

"Look, I'm not going anywhere," Mimi said, trying to make sure she said the right words. "I'm not going to abandon you and I will keep safe. You have my word."

Dimentio narrowed his eyes.

"And how do I know that you are not deceiving me? How do I know that when I put my guard down that you-"

"Do you really think I would do that?"

Mimi started to run her fingers through his hair, hoping to distract him.

"Look, I said I would start a new life with you, and I plan on doing just that."

"Oh, that I have no doubt about," Dimentio replied. "I don't believe you will leave me intentionally. I'm afraid of someone _taking_ you away!"

"And that's not going to happen. I'm a strong fighter, remember? All our training back at Castle Bleck?"

Dimentio was silent for a moment, his breathing thickening. Great fear was in his eyes, desperation merging with madness. Mimi smiled slightly, giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise."

"Mimi, Dimentio?"

Mimi stiffened.

_Oh no, anyone but him!_

She turned around to see Luigi running towards them. At the sight of him, rage burned in Dimentio's eyes. He tried to get up, but Mimi held him back.

"Luigi, what are you doing here?" Mimi asked shocked. "How did you find us?"

"I, uh, took a guess," Luigi answered. "I came after you guys once you teleported away. Luckily, that crazy jester didn't see me leave. Not you, Dimentio, the other one."

Dimentio narrowed his eyes at Luigi's fail attempt at humor. Luigi then took a seat next to Mimi and Dimentio, who continued to glare at him.

"So, who was that guy?" Luigi asked. "Didn't he say that he was your father, Dimentio?"

"Why would you care?" Dimentio snapped. "Why should I trust you?"

Luigi narrowed his eyes.

"Well, it is obviously he has to be up to no good if he was able to scare you like that," he said. "And I know you aren't a person who gets scared so easily. So he must be dangerous."

"Ah ha ha ha! Oh, you have _no_ idea!"

Dimentio tried launch himself at Luigi, but again, Mimi held him back. Luigi flinched back, moving as far as he could from Dimentio. Dimentio smiled.

"Nor am I stupid enough to believe that you would actually try to help. You would _love_ to see me suffer, wouldn't you, Little Luigi?"

"Uh…no, I'm not like that," Luigi replied, his voice shaking a bit. "But if a madman is on the loose…one that's madder than you."

"Oh I will be more than 'mad' if you don't leave my sight soon, like an irritating little mosquito on the back of my neck…"

For a third time, Dimentio tried to get up but Mimi used all her strength to hold him down. Grunting a bit, she turned to Luigi.

"Luigi, I know you are trying to help," Mimi said. "But you aren't exactly the best person to be here now. Dimentio…"

It was obvious what she was trying to say.

Luigi moved his gaze between Mimi and Dimentio.

"I know. But what else am I suppose to do?"

"Do what you can do," Mimi answered. "Distract Lucifer until we find out what is truly going on. We need to find out why Lucifer is after Dimentio and how he knows so much."

Her eyes darkened.

"For I have the feeling that there is more to this then what meets the eye."

"Oh, that there is, _bellezza_," Dimentio said, his dark eyes still on Luigi. "My father shouldn't even _be_ alive. And there is no way he had the magical or mental ability to escape the Underwhere like I did."

"Wait…are you saying we are dealing with a _zombie_?" Luigi asked fearfully.

Dimentio smiled, as if Luigi's fright amused him.

"No, not a zombie," he explained. "But we are dealing with some type of powerful magic that brought my father back. And that we shouldn't underestimate it, like a careless plumber."

"Hey!"

Dimentio's smile grew at Luigi's glare. Mimi sighed heavily.

_At least he is not trying to kill him anymore… _

"Okay, so here is the plan," Mimi said before either of them could make another comment. "Luigi, you go back to the castle and see what you can learn. Until we know what we are up against, Dimentio and I will go into hiding, though we will stay in this dimension so that we may be able to keep in contact."

"Sounds like a plan," Luigi said, standing up. "I promise I will find out as much as I can, and let the other know as well."

Mimi smiled and stood up, with Dimentio at her side. Dimentio put a tight hold on her arm, as if afraid that Mimi would disappear.

"So do you know where we can stay for the time being?" Mimi asked.

"Yes, and it is a place that no one would look for you, at least not by first guess."

Luigi pointed deeper into the forest.

"Further into the forest, there is a large mansion called Boo's Mansion. It's inhabited by boos, and they are usually very hostile. However, Mario made friends with the owner of the mansion, Lady Bow, a few years ago. When you arrive, tell her guards that you were told to come here by Mario's brother, Luigi, and that you need to see Lady Bow. They should take you to her after that, and there you can explain your situation."

"Okay, so just straight through?"

"Yep. And knowing you two it won't be too hard to find."

Mimi smiled.

"Thanks Luigi. Be safe, you and the others."

Luigi nodded. "And you too."

He turned to Dimentio.

"I still may still not like you, Dimentio," he said sincerely. "But I won't let anyone get hunted down like that. Just…don't do anything crazy, alright?"

Dimentio gave an emotionless expression, making no comment.

With one last look at both of them, Luigi then turned back towards the castle. Both Dimentio and Mimi watched him go, until he was out of sight. Once gone, they silently made their way to Boo's Mansion.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

The thick branches of the trees blocked out any source of dimming sunlight as Mimi and Dimentio traveled further in the forest. Mimi was in the lead, weariness flowing over her. She was hot and tired, and it felt like she had been traveling forever.

_Just how large is this forest?_

Suddenly, she felt Dimentio put his hand on her shoulder. Mimi looked up at him, his face and eyes completely emotionless.

"Stop overworking yourself," Dimentio said, his voice having a bit of a solemn tone to it. "We've been traveling for awhile now and I can tell you are exhausted."

"It shouldn't be too much further by now," Mimi said. "We can rest then when we know that we are safe. When _you_ are safe."

She added extra emphasis on the word 'you.'

Dimentio blinked, again, showing no emotion.

"I don't think just taking a quick moment to catch our breath will bring too much danger. After all, we are in the middle of a dark forest, running away like escaped outlaws from slow responding police force."

Mimi looked like she wanted to argue more, but something told her that Dimentio wasn't going to change his mind. She let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine. But only for a short while."

She sat down against one of the nearby trees, her exhaustion and worry glowing on her face. Dimentio sat right next to her, taking a hold of her left hand in a protective manner. Mimi smiled slightly.

"You insisted on resting, yet you seem just as scared as I am."

"That may be, but my goal right now is to make sure nothing happens to you," Dimentio answered. "For like my lady and my mother, you are the only thing I care about in these damn worlds. And I can't afford to lose you, or have you hurt."

He squeezed her hand a bit tighter. Mimi stayed silent for a moment.

"I know you had a crappy life, but am I _really_ the only thing worth living for?"

Dimentio gave her a blank stare.

"What do you mean by that? You, other than Lady Timpani, gave me something that no one else could give. And everyone else treated me like I was nothing, pathetic, or crazy."

"That isn't true," Mimi said. "You had other good things happen to you, only you were too focused looking at the negative you couldn't see it. Like at Caste Bleck, you could have gotten really close to everyone like I did. O'Chunks, Nastasia, the four heroes. I'm sure they would have been your friends, if you gave them the chance. And even Count Bleck, if you just let go of the past."

"One does not let go of dramatic events so easily," Dimentio replied coldly. "How would you feel if someone just randomly appeared into your life and stole the only person you were ever close to? I can never forgive Blumiere for stealing away Lady Timpani. Like I can't forgive Luigi almost taking you away."

Mimi's eyes flashed.

"Would it really hurt you if you stop comparing me to Timpani all the time? I understand that she was your first love and she had hurt you, but it is really starting to get on my nerves! I'm different from Timpani, and I will _never_ be her!"

Mimi took her hand away from Dimentio and got herself into a defensive position, refusing to make eye contact with him. She knew she shouldn't have responded like that, especially at a time like this, but she couldn't take it anymore! Everything in their relationship was compared to his with Timpani, from the fear of facing competition to what he liked about her. Everything was a never ending comparison.

There was a long silence, and Mimi felt herself tense up a bit. Oh God, had she gone too far?

But then, she heard a soft chuckle.

"Is that _jealousy_ I sense from you, my dear _bellezza_?" Dimentio asked with a seductive tone in his voice.

Mimi turned her head away from him, trying to hide the blush on her face. But that only seemed to make Dimentio smile more, as he leaned closer to her.

"I guess I'm not the only one who feels some possession," he whispered in her ear. "I do apologize, for I didn't mean to upset you like this. However, I will admit…"

He gently turned Mimi's head to face him.

"You are really cute when you are jealous."

He kissed her softly on the lips and Mimi blushed furiously. She quickly moved out of his grasp, and Dimentio laughed. Mimi crossed her arms.

"Gosh, you really know how to drive a girl wild! But at least you now know how I feel when _you_ get jealous of Luigi!"

"Ah, but that is a bit different, for it was brought in intentionally."

"But jealousy is still jealousy. And the only difference is that one of us has better control of it. After all, I don't want to kill Timpani just because you happened to like her."

Dimentio smirked. "But doesn't that show my loyalty to you, like a knight guarding his fair princess?"

"Dimentio, don't try to avoid the subject with flattery."

Dimentio moved closer to her.

"But you didn't answer the question. For wouldn't you rather have me be protective of you then not caring who is around you?"

"Not when it deals with my boyfriend and my friend trying to kill each other!" Mimi exclaimed. "Especially over misunderstandings and just reacting to them!"

And even though Mimi was almost shouting at the top of her lungs, Dimentio still kept his mischievous smile. Eventually, he made it to where their faces were inches apart.

"Okay, I get it."

"No, no you really don't get it. If you would just-"

"Mimi, enough…"

Dimentio was able to end the argument by kissing her again. Mimi growled a bit, as she knew he was trying to soften her up. And…it worked, for she finally gave in and started kissing him back. But, eventually, Mimi reluctantly pulled back.

"We really must be going. The sooner were at this Boo's Mansion, the better."

She stood up, smoothing out her yellow and white spotted dress a bit.

"But just FYI, this conversation isn't over. Just because you were able to get your way, doesn't mean I'm going to let it go."

Dimentio sighed as he stood up as well.

"Very well, _bellezza_. Once we get a moment to ourselves, we will continue to discuss it pointlessly."

A large smirk appeared on his handsome face.

"_After_ we finish this perfect moment between us, of course. Specifically, in a dark bedroom where I can get a better _reaction_ from you."

Mimi's face turned completely red.

"Oh God…this is payback from earlier, isn't it?"

Dimentio only chuckled in reply. Mimi sighed a bit, but a small appeared across her face.

Dimentio seemed to be distracted from his father, and was back to being more collective and stable again. At least…stable enough to where he wasn't completely unpredictable.

_Hopefully he can stay that way for awhile._

Now feeling a bit more energized, Mimi and Dimentio traveled deeper into the forest in search of Boo's Mansion. To Mimi's relief, the rest of the walk was not as long. The dark, abandon looking mansion was now coming into view, a few lights coming through the slightly cracked windows. They then reached the gate of the mansion, which was locked. Mimi looked inside the gate.

"Crap…I don't see anyone," she said. "I guess we will have to break an entrance."

Dimentio smiled.

"That will be fun. It has been awhile since I've made a grand entrance, as the charming magician that I am."

Mimi rolled her eyes. "We are trying to seek shelter, not scare the living crap out of them."

"Since when were boos easily scared? And it is just some harmless fun."

Again, Mimi rolled her eyes.

Without another word, she teleport herself inside the gate. But almost as soon as she stepped foot on the other side, a shirking cry went through the air. Mimi froze as a bunch of pure white boos appeared out of nowhere, surrounding her. Dimentio's eyes widened and he quickly teleported to her side. The boos all smiled.

"Yay, a new group people have come to play!" one of them exclaimed. "It's been awhile since someone has foolishly wondered to our mansion. You two are not welcomed here!"

The boos all floated closer to them, laughing and sticking out their long tongues. Dimentio gave a crooked smile, summoning a large electric sphere.

"And we are not like any other person you have chased, like a savage wolf to its defenseless prey," Dimentio said calmly. "Now, if I were you, I would keep your distance."

All the boos flinched back in shock, as none of them had ever seen magic like this before. Taking this opportunity, Mimi stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"We don't mean to intrude on your property, but we are seeking refuge. We were sent by Mario's brother to talk to the owner of this mansion, Lady Bow."

The boos gasped.

They all glanced over at each other, whispering among themselves. After getting into a large huddle, one of the boos disappeared and the others kept their eyes on Mimi and Dimentio. A few tensed minutes passed, and the boo who left earlier reappeared, with an older boo with a white mustache. In a way, he seemed to resemble a butler, or at least to Mimi. The boo butler approached them, and Dimentio tensed up.

"Relax, I'm not going to harm you," the boo butler said. "As long as your word is true, that is. My name is Bootler, Lady Bow's personal butler."

"Uh…pleased to meet you," Mimi replied, taking a hold of Dimentio's hand. "My name is Mimi, and this is Dimentio."

Bootler's eyes widened for a split second.

"Dimentio, you say?"

He studied Dimentio for a long moment, particularly his face and eyes. Dimentio said nothing, but he had a dangerous look in his eyes. There was a short moment of silence, and Bootler floated a few steps back.

"I…will introduce you to Lady Bow and you can explain why you are here. Please follow me."

He then started to float towards the mansion. Mimi and Dimentio quickly followed him. Mimi noticed that Dimentio had an uneasy look in his eyes, maybe a nervous look, as the boos were staring at him, now knowing his name. Mimi gave a puzzled look.

_Why are the boos acting so shock? Did they know someone named Dimentio before?_

Though a part of her knew it wasn't that, but she hoped that what she was feeling wasn't true.

In pure silence, with the occasional boo having a conversation with another boo, Bootler, Mimi, and Dimentio entered the mansion. It was a lot smaller compared to what it seemed from the outside, the corridors being very dark and dust covered the entire place. The wooden floor creaked with even the slightest amount of pressure, which greatly annoyed Mimi. And the further they went in, the higher they went up the stairs, the more boos would appear.

_How can such a small mansion contain so many boos? Even Madame Merlee had trouble housing all our workers, and it was larger than this!_

Soon, they arrived at the third floor, which led to one large room.

"This is Lady Bow's room," Bootler explained. "Please wait here while I get her."

And without another word, he floated into the door. Mimi's eyes widened.

_Okay, that is just creepy…_

"Mimi, I need you to do something for me."

Mimi blinked, turning to Dimentio. A dark look was in his eyes.

"I need you to stay quiet and let me do all of the talking," Dimentio said quietly. "It is extremely important that you let me do so."

"Wait, why?" Mimi asked a bit shocked.

"Don't ask questions now," Dimentio replied quickly before she could make another sound. "You will understand why soon enough, if what I think is right."

Mimi stared at Dimentio for a moment.

"…As long as things don't get out of control, I will keep silent."

Dimentio blinked in reply. But he didn't have time to make a verbal response, for Bootler came back in just that second.

"Lady Bow is ready to see you now."

He opened the door for them and Dimentio stepped inside, Mimi close to his side. There, a lone boo with two big red ribbons on her head floated in the air. She held a big pink and purple fan, clutching it tightly. She studied both Mimi and Dimentio, her gaze drifting on Dimentio for a long moment.

"So, you are the guests that Luigi sent," Bow said in a soft, yet firm voice. "My name is Lady Bow, the owner of this mansion."

Dimentio smiled.

"Greetings, my lady. I am the pleaser of cowards and charming magician, Dimentio. And this is my assistant, Mimi."

_Assistant?!_

Mimi sighed heavily at Dimentio's slightly arrogant introduction. He did do a slight bow, and Bow just smirked in reply.

"Charming, I can see why they call you that. But, I do not have time for fancy introductions."

She crossed her arms.

"Tell me why Luigi sent you. It must have been important for him send you here, since he is deathly afraid of boos."

There was a slight amused look in her eyes when she mentioned that last part. Dimentio continued to smile, but the small laugh he gave sounded a bit nervous.

"It is a long story, my lady, and I do not wish to bore you with the details."

"Don't care." Bow narrowed her eyes. "I want to know _everything_."

Dimentio chuckled. "As you wish. Ah, where to begin?"

He paused in his speech. Mimi felt a tiny bit uncomfortable, especially with the way Bootler and Bow were looking at Dimentio. There was only so much that they could tell, and with one mistake, they could be thrown out.

But Dimentio, like always, played carefully with his words.

"Since the story is so complex for one sitting, I will tell you all the necessary information you need to know. For you see, my dear, I'm being hunted down by my insane, unstable father, who threatens my life and my girlfriend's. For someone brought him back from the dead, someone who is twisted and dangerous enough to cause much harm to the Mushroom Kingdom. To even you and your fine mansion."

Bow narrowed her eyes.

"I see… And is he a danger to Mario and his brother?"

"Indeed he is," Dimentio answered.

There was a long silence, Bow and Dimentio staring into each others' eyes. Mimi felt her heart skip a beat, the tension growing more and more. Giving Bootler one last look, Bow finally said, "If Mario, or his brother, believes that you are in need of protection, then I will do so. But do note that I am _not_ someone to cross, magician. That goes for the both of you, and I expect to hear from Mario or Luigi soon about this."

"And that you will, my lady," Dimentio said. "We plan to be in full contact with them."

Bow narrowed her eyes.

"You better. But before I let you go for the night, I want to ask you one thing."

"Go ahead and ask away, my lady," Dimentio replied calmly, though his muscles seemed tensed.

There was a long pause.

"…You claim your name is Dimentio, and you say you are a magician," Bow said darkly. "But are you also the same magician jester named Dimentio, who is supposedly disfigured and completely mad, that escaped the Underwhere?"

Mimi gasped.

She looked over from Dimentio to Bow, searching for some kind of reaction. Dimentio's eye twitched slightly and he gave a small, high pitched laugh. Bow crossed her arms and Bootler tensed up.

"So, I'm right?" Bow asked, sounding confident.

Dimentio smiled.

"I suppose there is no point in lying, is there? Though how do you and your boos know about me and my little stunt?"

Bow crossed her arms.

"If you must know, us boos have connections to the Underwhere and Queen Jaydes. We know what happens in there, and we know that when someone who is _suppose_ to be in there escapes. Of course, only one person has ever left without the queen's permission or without any other help from the outside worlds."

There was a short pause.

"…Yes, it would make sense," Dimentio said with a small smile. "But knowing my identity does not change the facts. There is a madman on the loose after me. Who _will_ come after you and your dear friend, Mario, too."

"And I would have to be an idiot to trust you completely," Bow replied coldly. "You are a lunatic who cheated death. How do I know that you won't endanger me and my boos?"

"Because we are desperate."

Bow, Bootler, and Dimentio's eyes turned to Mimi. Mimi held eye contact with Bow, slowly approaching her.

"I give you my word that neither Dimentio nor I will harm you or your mansion," Mimi said solemnly. "All we want is to escape the past and start a new life. And we can't do it with Dimentio's father on the loose. You our only hope, our last sanctuary."

There was a long silence, Mimi and Bow refusing to remove eye contact. Dimentio couldn't hide the worry look on his face, the anxiety in his eyes. Bow studied Mimi for a moment.

"…You must be either very foolish," she said with full sincerity, "or very naive to trust someone like him. But I would have to be completely heartless to ignore a plea like that."

She turned to Dimentio.

"You, 'charming' magician, will be under constant watch to make sure you don't do anything crazy. One wrong move, I will not hesitate to give you back to Queen Jaydes."

She then turned to Bootler.

"Take them to their rooms," Bow ordered. "Make sure they have the ability to see each other if they want to, for I have the feeling that they will wish to be together."

She glanced over at Mimi and Dimentio for split second and then brought her attention back to Bootler.

"Go, now."

Bootler nodded in reply and guided Dimentio and Mimi out of the room. Mimi gave one last glance at Bow, mouthing out the words, 'thank you,' before closing the door behind her.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Luigi ran as fast as he could out of the dark forest, his heart pounding hard in his chest.

When he saw Dimentio teleport Mimi out of Peach's castle, he knew immediately that he had to find them. His reaction to Lucifer…he had the same fear in his heart that he had when he first met Dimentio. Of course, he was Mr. L at the time, but it was one of the few memories he had of him he could remember clearly. So seeing Lucifer...he knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong. And God must have been on his side, for he wouldn't have ever found Mimi and Dimentio otherwise.

_Hopefully they will be safe trying to get to Boo's Mansion_, Luigi thought as he ran through Toad Town. _I doubt the boos will give them too much trouble, with Dimentio and all._

A chill went down his spine, thinking of what Dimentio could possibly do to the boos.

It was still a shock that Count Lucifer was Dimentio the whole time. How could he have not seen it sooner? It should have been completely obvious! And yet he was completely fooled…and now they were paying the price.

_But _why_ would someone want to hunt down their own child? Shouldn't a father love their son more than anything?_

Luigi thought back to his and Mario's father, all the happy times they shared. He just could not imagine what it must be like to have a wicked father, one who didn't care about you in the slightest.

_But that doesn't mean I can forgive Dimentio for all he has done in the past, even if I feel a bit of sympathy for him._

"Luigi!"

At the sound of a toad's voice, Luigi stopped dead in his tracks. The toad, which looked like a toad who worked at the castle, ran towards him, panting heavily like he had just run a marathon.

"What's wrong?" Luigi asked.

The toad paused a moment to catch his breath. He looked up at Luigi, his eyes full of fear.

"Oh, Luigi, thank God you were not at the castle! It is terrible!" he cried. "The castle has been taken over!"

Luigi gasped. "What, by who?!"

"That creepy jester!" the toad exclaimed. "After Count Lucifer disappeared with Mimi, the jester claimed that he will need to place to stay so that he could get his son. S-so, he put the princess and the others in these glass boxes that just appeared out of nowhere! Then they all disappeared, and I have no idea where! After that, the jester started to capture us toads, and I barely escaped with my life. I-I had to find some help, and I hoped I would run into you."

The toad fell to his knees, crying uncontrollably. Luigi, trying to keep calm, helped the toad stand up.

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine," Luigi said, but even a part of himself doubted. "Just tell everyone here in Toad Town what is going on and to be on their guard. Don't let anyone come near the castle until you hear from me or Mario. Do you understand?"

The toad nodded his head slowly.

"I-I guess. But Mario will be able to stop that monster, won't he?"

Luigi was silent for a long moment.

"…Of course. Mario will save the day."

He then left the toad's side, putting him into the care of the other townspeople, and ran to the castle. On the way, he ran into a few more fleeing toads, thanking God that at least more people were able to escape Lucifer. Luigi finally arrived at front gate, which was locked. Peach's castle looked completely deserted, but he knew that one wrong move and he would be captured as well.

_Should_ _I call for help before I try to enter?_

Bowser would be the closest 'ally' to contact, but how would he get to Bowser's castle? And if he did, would Mario, Peach, and Daisy be alright if he went to get help first?

_Daisy…_

Luigi clutched his fists.

_No, I can't abandon her!_

With his mind made up, Luigi went around the fence until he came to the back of the castle. Trying to hide behind the trees, he scanned the area to make sure he could enter undetected. Again, like the front, it seemed completely deserted. As quietly as he could, Luigi climbed up the nearby tree, went over the fence, and jumped down onto the other side. He stood completely still, his heart pounding, his eyes glancing in all directions. No one was around. Luigi ran towards the back kitchen door, which he was surprised to see was unlocked. He slowly entered the castle, closing the door quietly behind him.

_Okay, I'm inside. At least I got that far._

As silently as he could, Luigi sneaked out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Each second that went by made his anxiety grow more and more, as he had no idea what he would be expecting. Would he find his friends tortured by this madman, would they be in cells made by Lucifer's creation and would he find Lucifer sitting on Peach's throne, waiting for him to come and finish him off? Would he have created minions to do his bidding, could he even do that? Each thought was more terrifying than the last.

Eventually reaching the entrance hall, Luigi poked his head out of the dining room door. Complete stillness, an eerie feeling in the air, to the point he expected a ghost to appear out of nowhere. But then, faintly, Luigi began to hear some voices. He couldn't tell who's they were or what they were talking about, but he could tell they were coming from upstairs. As Luigi's breathing quickened, he quietly and swiftly made his way up the stairs. The voices grew louder and clearer the higher Luigi went up, which made him more fearful as to what he would find. Soon, he was able to identify the voices, and to his surprise, there were three of them. Two male and one female, one of the male voices having a thick Scottish accent to it.

Luigi's face paled.

_That's O'Chunks's voice!_

His pace grew faster, now recognizing Nastasia's quiet, yet firm voice, and eventually Lucifer's cold, smooth voice. Soon, Luigi found himself on the top floor, and he walked to the door where the voices were the loudest. It was the throne room, which didn't really surprised Luigi that much. He cracked the door a bit; just enough for him to see what was going on. And what he saw completely shocked him.

He got a glimpse of O'Chunks, who was trapped in one of those glass boxes the toad had talked about earlier, the same kind that Dimentio had used before. O'Chunks looked exhausted, angry, and confused, his whole body covered in bruises and cuts. In front of him stood Lucifer and Nastasia, looking like they were in a deep conversation. And in Nastasia's hands…was a golden and green wand with a giant golden star at its point.

Luigi's eyes widened.

_The Star Rod!_

"I don't see why you are still so upset, my lady," Lucifer was saying. "I'm doing what you want me to do. But if I am going to do it effectively, I need to have the ability to work."

Nastasia narrowed her eyes, her grip tightening on the holy Star Rod.

"All I wanted was for you to do was make Dimentio pay for what he had done to me," Nastasia said, her voice unusually dark. "You had no right to harm Bowser or the others."

_Bowser! Lucifer took down _Bowser_?!_

Luigi had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from crying out. Lucifer smiled.

"But it was all necessary. You brought me back to make my son suffer for your enjoyment, correct? Well, to do that, I need to capture anyone who could intervene or be used against him. And to sooth your disapproval, I even brought back from Bowser's prison the man you treasure most dearly. Of course, after your beloved count."

O'Chunks growled.

"You will pay for this, you even crazier jester!" he shouted. "The heroes will come and take you back to hell where you belong!"

Lucifer smiled at O'Chunks's comment, even chuckling softly.

"Ah, those four heroes that went up against my son. They could become a problem, if not looked after. And yet, the most important one of them to make my son's demise complete is still on the loose. Along with the person who will ultimately break him."

He turned his attention back to Nastasia.

"Before we can go after my son, we must capture Luigi and Mimi first," Lucifer advised. "Or at least Luigi, so we can 'transform' him back to Mr. L and have him take back Mimi."

"Leave Mimi and Luigi out of this!" Nastasia yelled. "You can kill Dimentio in any way you want, but you will not harm anyone else!"

She pointed the Star Rod at him.

"And if you don't, I will wish you back to the Underwhere. So, let's just do what I say and leave all the planning to me, K?"

There was a long silence, Lucifer moving his gaze between Nastasia and the Star Rod. A large, sadistic grin appeared on his face.

"And yet you summoned me to torture my son for you. You _need_ me to do what you desire the most, because you know you can't do it yourself, my lady."

He gave a small, high pitched laugh.

"Though the ironic thing is that you and my son are so much alike! To do anything in this world, you need to rely on others. Dimentio needed Countess Timpani, and now Mimi, to keep sane, he needed Count Bleck to create the Chaos Heart, and he needed Luigi to become the host for the Chaos Heart's power. And you, Lady Nastasia, need me to kill the man who you loathe so much, you needed O'Chunks to care for you in Flopside after the death of your beloved, you needed Bowser to steal the Star Rod so that you didn't have to get your delicate hands dirty and anger the Star Spirits."

He put his face very close to Nastasia's, his eyes looking deeply into hers.

"The fact is, you're just as pathetic as my son. And if you want your revenge to continue, I suggest you let me do my job. For in the end, only one person will lie dead, and it will be Dimentio. No one else, you have my word."

Nastasia stared at him with wide eyes, silent tears going down her cheeks.

"Don't listen to him, lass!" O'Chunks cried, trying to put some sense into her. "Count Bleck wouldn't want this, and neither would you!"

"…But I do."

Nastasia looked down at the Star Rod, a lust for blood glowing in her yellow eyes.

"…I want him to die. I want him to _suffer_ like he made me suffer!"

O'Chunks's eyes began to water.

"Nastasia, listen to-"

"Silence!"

Lucifer sent a spark of electricity to go through O'Chunks's body, making him cry in pain.

"Lady Nastasia has spoken," Lucifer said with no emotion. "As long she has the Star Rod, her wish is my command. You have no right to speak against it."

O'Chunks leaned against the wall of his prison, panting heavily. He looked up at Nastasia, trying to meet her eyes.

"Nastasia…"

"I'm sorry, O'Chunks," Nastasia said, her eyes on the Star Rod. "But if I am ever going to move on, I have to do this. I have to avenge Count Blumiere."

She and Lucifer then made their way to the door. Luigi's eyes widened and he quickly took off towards the stairs.

_I have to reach Dimentio and Mimi before it is too late! If I don't warn them, they will never be prepared to-_

"And where do you think you are going, Green Thunder?"

Luigi stopped dead in his tracks as Lucifer waited for him at the bottom of the stairs. Lucifer smiled.

"You are a sly little one, aren't you?" he said. "Perhaps there is more to you then what meets the eye. Like why my son is afraid of you."

Luigi shook in complete fear.

"I won't let you get away with this!" he cried. "Even if you capture me, I will never let you harm Mimi and Dimentio, _your own son_, like this! I won't let you manipulate Nastasia!"

"But I'm afraid you don't have a choice but to surrender."

Lucifer took a step closer to Luigi, and Luigi quickly stepped back.

"Lady Nastasia wishes for my son to suffer, and by being brought back by the Star Rod, I have no choice but to do so," Lucifer said in a low voice. "Now, relax and let the darker half of you give in."

The elderly magician snapped his fingers and Luigi screamed in agony. He fell to the ground, twitching in pain as Lucifer watched. Slowly, his vision began to fade.

_No!_

Luigi tried to stand up. Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

"Stop resisting, you useless plumber!"

He kicked Luigi's side, making him fall down. Luigi cringed.

_No, I won't give in! _

Lucifer growled in annoyance.

"Strong will. Perhaps I have to make the pain more intense."

He snapped his fingers again and Luigi screamed at the top of his lungs. His vision became even blurrier.

_N-no…_

Lucifer snapped his fingers again and again, causing Luigi to be in even more pain, even to the point of throwing up and sweating like he had a fever_. _

_I-I…w-won't…give…_

His body eventually wasn't able to take the pain anymore and he slipped into unconsciousness.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Around two in the morning, Mimi slowly opened her eyes as she faintly heard the sound of footsteps. She sat up a bit, noticing that they were coming from the other room. Dimentio's room.

_Why is he up _so_ early?_

Unable to go back to sleep, Mimi walked towards the bathroom that connected her and Dimentio's rooms. It was the only two rooms that they were allowed to go as they wished, for Bootler had said they should remain in their rooms until further orders from Bow. Mimi personally thought it was unnecessary, but she didn't make any complaints. They were safe, and that's all that mattered.

_I just hope Luigi and the others are doing alright…_

Going through the small bathroom, with the footsteps becoming louder and louder, Mimi gently knocked on the door.

"Dimentio, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

There was a sudden silence and pause, Dimentio eventually opening the door. He smiled, a look of relief in his eyes.

"Do you need something, _bellezza_?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I heard you pacing," Mimi answered. "And I was wondering if everything was okay."

Dimentio said nothing, clearly trying to think up some sort of lie. With that hesitation, Mimi let out a heavy sigh.

"What's on your mind? And you better _not_ lie to me…"

Dimentio chuckled.

"I would never lie to you, my dear. Last time I lied to you, I almost lost you completely. And I'm not going to make that mistake again."

"So _what's_ wrong?"

Mimi crossed her arms, feeling a bit irritated that Dimentio wasn't giving a straight answer. Then again, what was she suppose to expect?

Dimentio continued to smile, moving a few stray hairs from Mimi's face.

"Why don't you come inside so we don't have to stand in the cold bathroom? It will be a lot more…_comfortable_."

Mimi felt her face grow hot.

"Err…define 'comfortable.' And is this really the best time…?"

Before she could even finish her stuttering sentence, for Dimentio pulled her into his room, closing the door behind her. The room was completely pitch black, and Mimi felt Dimentio put his arms around her.

"We still need to finish our moment back in the forest, since we had to stop in such a rush," Dimentio whispered in the darkness.

Mimi felt his lips touch her neck, Dimentio's grip tightening on her as he started to shake a bit. Mimi put her hand on top of his, for she now knew what was wrong.

"Did you have a nightmare about losing me?" Mimi asked. "Is that what's keeping you up?"

Dimentio said nothing in reply.

Mimi sighed. "Dimentio, I'm _not_ going anywhere. We are _safe_ now, remember?"

"Not exactly," Dimentio replied. "The boos trust me like they would a fugitive. They may have us together now, but they could take you away from me, for fearing that I'm too dangerous for anyone to be around. Or they could send me to the Underwhere, where I would be away from you forever! And then there is my father, who will no doubt find us and when he does he'll-"

"Hush now, Dimentio."

Mimi put a finger over his lips, causing him to stop rambling. Getting out of his tight grip, Mimi led him, while trying to find her way, to his bed.

"Worrying is just going to make things worse," Mimi said softly. "Lay down and I will stay by your side until you fall asleep."

Dimentio narrowed his eyes in the darkness.

"I'm not a child, Mimi. Just because you are being gentle with me and telling me everything will be alright in the end does not change the situation. The boos, my father, are still out there and any moment things can go wrong."

Mimi was silent for a moment.

"…Then can you at least try to make _me_ feel easy? I hate to see you like this."

She put her face close to his.

"Like how I saw you when you first revealed your face to me, I cannot stand to see you suffering. So, please…"

She kissed him on the lips. Dimentio growled softly, but ultimately kissed her back. They were like this for a long moment, and Mimi could tell that Dimentio was starting to get tired.

Slowly pulling back, she helped Dimentio get into bed and put the covers over him. He did not argue this time, but his weary eyes never left hers. Once he was comfortable, Mimi sat down by his bedside, taking a hold of his hand.

"I will stay until you feel safe," she said softly. "For I won't be going anywhere."

Dimentio stared at her for a long moment, as if making sure she was going to keep that promise. Slowly, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, his hand still connected with Mimi's.

* * *

"…Miss Mimi, please wake up. Lady Bow wishes to see you."

"Err…Nassy five more minutes!" Mimi groaned in her sleep. "I promise I won't be late for training…"

"Miss Mimi. I advise you to wake up now. I…"

The voice let out a heavy sigh.

"Please forgive me, but you leave me no choice."

With that said, a sudden cold shock went through Mimi's body. She sat up, her eyes wide. She blinked, realizing that she was still at Dimentio's bedside, sunlight coming in through the window. Dimentio was still asleep, and on the other side of the bed, Bootler stood.

"My apologizes, but I could not wake you up any other way," Bootler explained.

Mimi's gaze shifted from Dimentio to Bootler. She smiled.

"Sorry. I guess I fell asleep without noticing it…"

Bootler nodded.

"I see… Were you having some difficulty sleeping? I know the beds might not be as comfortable by the living's standers, but I'm afraid that is the best we've got."

"Oh no, the beds are fine," Mimi explained. "It is just…well…it's a dark time for us."

There was a small silence.

"How is Dimentio handling?" Bootler asked. "How is…uh, how do I put it? …His _stability_."

It took awhile for Mimi to reply, her fingers smoothing out Dimentio's hair.

"…I know you guys think he is psychopath," Mimi finally said. "But you really have _no_ idea what he has been through. He is actually a good guy, if you can get pass the madness."

Bootler studied the both of them, his eyes not revealing any emotion.

"…If I was told that the mad jester who escaped the Underwhere could fall in love, I wouldn't have believed it. Unless I saw it for myself."

Mimi blinked, a puzzled look in her eyes. Bootler smiled.

"You two must have a strong bond for Dimentio, who from what I know, wouldn't let _anyone_ close to him if he could help it. And yet, here you are, comforting him as he tries to sleep."

The boo butler moved his gaze to Dimentio.

"And you must have a great amount of loyalty to stay by his side. For I have no doubt he has tried to hurt you in the past, has he not?"

Mimi said nothing in reply, her eyes on the ground. Bootler smiled.

"I hope everything works out for you two in the end. I can tell you both have suffered so much. You deserve to be together, I can say that."

He then floated towards the door.

"But for now, we must work together," Bootler said. "Mimi, Lady Bow has requested to talk to you in private. She has learned some information…that will greatly interest you."

"I see," Mimi replied, standing up. "Well, let's wait until Dimentio wakes up and then-"

"Mimi, when I said Lady Bow wishes to speak with you," Bootler said, cutting her off. "She meant _only_ you."

Mimi blinked.

"I uh…don't think that's such a good idea," she said. "Dimentio…he's kind of paranoid right now of losing me. And if I go somewhere without him knowing…he may freak out."

"I understand, but you must trust us." Bootler looked into Mimi's eyes. "There is a reason why Lady Bow just wants to talk to you alone. If it makes you feel better, we will keep Dimentio unconscious until you two are done talking. He will be fine in our care."

_But that's not what I'm afraid of._

There was a long silence. Mimi glanced back down at Dimentio. She let out a heavy sigh.

"All right. But let's not have it take too long."

Bootler nodded in reply.

Unlocking the door for her, Bootler led Mimi through the mansion to where Bow was waiting. They went to the same room Mimi met Bow before, where she waited patiently. There was a chair and table, with two drinks and snacks set right in front of her. And as soon as Mimi stepped inside, Bootler closed the door.

"Good morning, Mimi," Bow said, trying to sound friendly. "Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."

Mimi did as she was asked. Once she was comfortable, Bow said, "How did you and Dimentio sleep last night? I hope everything was bearable for you, since you came with such short notice."

"It was fine, in fact Dimentio is still asleep," Mimi replied. "Though if he wakes up without me there, he might freak out a bit. You see, he is a bit fearful and with everything that has happened…"

"No need to explain," Bow said in a matter-of-fact way. "It isn't hard to tell that he is very protective of you. I have issued some guards to stay by his room until you return in case he does something crazy."

She gave a self-assured smile.

"Know this. I _never_ do anything that will endanger my boos or friends. They are my top priority, and will always be."

She then picked up a cookie, offering it to Mimi. Feeling famished, Mimi took it, along with a glass of water.

"After you and Dimentio went to your rooms last night," Bow said as Mimi ate. "I contacted Queen Jaydes about the situation and told her everything you told me. And from that conversation…I learned a few quite shocking things."

Mimi gave her full attention to her.

"Apparently Dimentio's 'unstable' father is the jester magician Lucifer, who I was surprised to find out didn't have much of a criminal record," Bow explained. "From the way Dimentio described him, I was expecting a homicidal manic. And yet, according Queen Jaydes, he was just a man whose biggest sin was torturing and using his son. He wasn't a serial killer, a power-hungry tyrant, nothing extreme like that. And what's really interesting…is that Lucifer's spirit never left the Underwhere."

Mimi's eyes widened. She coughed up her drink, almost choking a bit.

"…B-but that's _impossible_!" Mimi exclaimed with shock. "I saw Lucifer with my own eyes! Even though I never met him before now, I could tell just by looking at him he _was_ Dimentio's father!"

"Oh, and it gets even better from there," Bow continued. "Before I could even ask about Lucifer, Queen Jaydes had been informed that the Star Spirits' holy Star Rod was stolen _again_ by the evil king Bowser. And apparently, there have been heavy casualties when came to koopas, as well as toads."

"But why would Bowser kill his own people?" Mimi asked. "Bowser may be a jerk at times, but he isn't a murderer. He wouldn't do something like this."

"I agree with you too," Bow replied. "Because last time he stole the Star Rod, he had locked up all the Star Spirits and captured Princess Peach. There was no massive genocide what so ever, at least by his control."

"So what does this mean? What are you getting at?"

A grim look appeared on Bow's face.

"If Lucifer had never left the Underwhere, but has yet returned, plus with the Star Rod being stolen with mysterious purposes, there is only one thing that can be concluded. Someone used Bowser to steal the Star Rod for them and then summoned a shadow of what Lucifer was."

"'A shadow of what Lucifer was?'"

Mimi gave a puzzled look. Bow rolled her eyes.

"Oh wow, you don't know what a shadow spirit is? That's…kind of sad, since you are lovers with a man who uses dark magic all the time."

Mimi narrowed her eyes. "Well, it isn't a common thing to see or ask about."

"True, true."

Bow paused a bit, as if she was trying to come up with the right words to say.

"Shadow spirits can be used for a number of things," she explained with great knowledge. "But they are mostly common in the uses of dark magic practices. They are like outer replicas of someone, dead most of the time, having the same physical features as the original person, with darker and stronger abilities. However, they are _not_ that person, and so they are really just a mindless slaves. However, if the dark sorcerer is able to use their memories of what that person was like and project those memories into the shadow spirit, then it will act according to those memories. Most of the time they are not that dangerous, at least by themselves, but if given the mind of, let's say, a serial killer, they can be _very_ deadly."

"But then how can the Lucifer that we saw," Mimi asked, still very confused, "be a shadow spirit if no one but Dimentio knows what he was truly like?"

"I'm getting to that, because that is where the Star Rod comes in," Bow pointed out. "My guess is that Dimentio _really_ pissed someone off and that person wanted payback. Somehow, they used Bowser to get the Star Rod for them, and ultimately betrayed him, explaining the heavy deaths of koopas. They then wished on the Star Rod to make Dimentio suffer or something like that, and with it, summoned a shadow spirit of Lucifer, with _Dimentio's_ memories of him. Thus completing the wish."

Bow gave a slightly sympathetic look.

"It makes the most sense, and I have no doubt that is what happened. So…do you have any idea who could have done this?"

There was a long silence, Mimi keeping her eyes to the ground. Her heart twisted inside of her, like someone had cut her open.

_"I don't want you to get hurt again, Mimi. And I do treasure you as a friend. But I won't let Count Blumiere's death go unpunished either. For my love for Blumiere is like yours for Dimentio. You do what you think is right and I will do what I believe is right. Hopefully, it will work out in the end."_

"…Nastasia," Mimi muttered softly. "It was Nastasia..."

Bow gave a blank stare and Mimi met her eyes.

"Bow, you said that you had connections to the Underwhere. Does that also mean that you can enter it?"

Bow's eyes widened.

"Yes… But why would that matter?"

"Because I know how to end this," Mimi answered her voice completely stone cold. "And I need to talk to a friend from the grave to do so."

She stared at Bow for a long moment, waiting for her to reply. Bow, who was completely shocked by Mimi's request a second ago, now had an understanding, and even adventurous look to her.

"If you think this will help, I will do what I can. Bootler!"

At the sound of his name, Bootler appeared into the room.

"Yes Lady Bow?" Bootler asked.

"Keep an eye on Dimentio and make sure he does not leave his room, no matter what," Bow ordered. "If he asks where Mimi is, do _not_ tell him. For I don't know how well he will take it if he found out his girlfriend went down to the land of the dead."


	20. Chapter Twenty

"The door to the Underwhere is right here in the basement," Bow said as she and Mimi went down a secret staircase.

Mimi's eyes widened, for the dark stairway looked like it hadn't seen sunlight in centuries. Bow smiled.

"Other than boos, no other creature has laid eyes on this part of the mansion since it was first built. Consider it an honor."

Mimi nodded in reply.

"Yes…so how did you get this dimensional door to access to the Underwhere?"

"Well, it is a very long story that has to do with the early parts of my species' history," Bow explained as she and Mimi walked down the stairs. "I don't even know the whole story myself, but it has been my family's duty to keep connections to Queen Jaydes as well as take care of this mansion."

"So how far back does your family go?" Mimi asked curiously.

"At least five centuries, and perhaps even longer than that," Bow answered. "Despite its appearance, this mansion is quite ancient. Looks can be deceiving; as I'm sure you've learned."

Mimi said nothing in reply.

They then arrived at the end of the stairs. To Mimi's surprise, the basement just looked like any other basement, dark and full of storage. She gave Bow a puzzled look, but Bow paid no attention to her.

"Stand back," Bow ordered.

Not even waiting for a reply, she floated over towards the opposite wall. She closed her eyes, speaking in a dead language that Mimi could not identify. Suddenly, the wall started to morph into the form of a black door. It looked similar to the door that Mimi had used to first get to Castle Bleck. But it didn't have the same eerie feeling around it, but more of a haunting one. Bow turned to face Mimi.

"Are you ready to go see Queen Jaydes?" she asked. "Whoever you want to speak to, you have to get approval from the queen. After all, the living are not meant for the Underwhere."

"…I see."

Mimi slowly approached the door, staring at it as if she was in a trance. Noticing that she was ready, Bow opened the door and immediately the air turned deathly cold. Though she was shivering, Mimi stepped through the door. Her surroundings dramatically changed upon entering. She was no longer in the darkness of the Boos' basement, but in some kind of palace of bright gray stone. Small purple goblins filled the entire place, all on the move and doing some kind of job. Bow appeared at Mimi's side.

"Welcome to the queen's castle," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

She turned to face Mimi.

"The queen's throne room isn't far. Though do stay close to me. The D-Men are harmless, but they may not like it having you around without supervision."

Mimi nodded in reply.

She and Bow walked down the hallway, the D-Men paying no attention to them. Though there was the occasional, "Hi Lady Bow."

Eventually, they arrived at a large door, which Mimi assumed led to the throne room.

"So, do we just walk in or what?" Mimi asked.

Bow shrugged. "I usually do, but let me go in and make sure the queen isn't busy, since you are here. Wait here, and don't talk to anyone."

With that, Bow opened the door slightly and quickly went inside. A few minutes passed, and Mimi felt herself become a bit nervous. What was she going to say, did the queen already know why she was here? And what if she refused her plea? If that happened…Mimi had no idea what she would do. There was no other way, this had to work!

_I cannot fail!_

Finally, Bow returned.

"Queen Jaydes is ready to see you, Mimi," she said. "I'll be outside when you two are done."

She opened the door wider and Mimi stepped inside. The throne room was surprisingly smaller than she expected, being just the side of an ordinary large living room. With a large black throne at other end of the room, a woman sat with a long purple and black dress and a large dark pink and black hat. She had eyes as cold as death, dark and lifeless.

Without a doubt, Mimi was terrified of Queen Jaydes.

The Queen of the Dead met Mimi's eyes.

"I'm not surprised that you have come here, Mimi," Queen Jaydes said. "When Bow first told me about you and Dimentio, plus what I've been informed about the Mushroom Kingdom, I had the feeling that you would come here."

She cleared her throat.

"So, I assume you have identified the person who has betrayed Bowser?"

"…I have," Mimi answered, sounding a bit nervous. "Her name is Nastasia, a close friend of mine who I worked with when I served Count Bleck."

Queen Jaydes's eyes widened.

"Her? That I will say I am shocked. When she was here for that short period of time, nothing in her life suggested that she would do something this horrid!"

"Normally, Nastasia wouldn't do such a thing," Mimi quickly said in defense for her friend. "But…she has a big grudge against Dimentio and…it has gotten out of control."

Queen Jaydes gave a small nod.

"That makes sense. Getting murdered by Dimentio and then have the man she loved lose his life because of him, only to find out that he is alive to kill everyone she cared for again."

She sighed.

"And I can't say I blame her. For I myself have a grudge against the Master of Dimensions. After all, he _did_ escape my Underwhere."

Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"And now he is suffering because of my friend's revenge. It has to end before she gets herself hurt!"

"Ah yes, you and Dimentio's relationship..."

Queen Jaydes leaned back in her chair.

"I can say, out of all the tragic lovers I've seen, you two are the most interesting. A madman who had been through it all, teaching himself to never love again and with unbelievable power and ambition…is destroyed internally just by a young girl. I have watched Dimentio, personally, ever since he escaped my Underwhere, and with that, you're ever developing relationship."

She gave a sympathetic look.

"You are really a person worth admiring, Mimi. And that is something I don't say often. Your loyalty and love to this man, in which many people wouldn't in your situation, is remarkable. It is easy to see why Dimentio has fallen for you, why you are keeping any humanity left in him. For if it wasn't for you, we would be having a _very_ different future."

She paused for a moment, a solemn look in her eyes.

"And for that, I am willing to help you. And when this is over, I _do_ expect you to keep Dimentio in line. Do you understand me?"

Mimi's eyes widened, shocked.

"I…thank you. I promise I won't let you down!"

Queen Jaydes smiled.

"Glad to hear it. Now, what can I help you with? Though, giving what I know about Nastasia, I think I know why you are here…"

"Yes, I do want to see Count Blumiere," Mimi said. "However, there is one other person I need to see."

Queen Jaydes blinked. "Oh? And who is that?"

"I want to see Dimentio's father," Mimi answered, "the magician Lucifer."

There was a small silence.

"…I guess you would want to see him, given that there is a dangerous shadow spirit of him on the loose," Queen Jaydes finally said. "Very well, I will let him know. And while that is going on, I will give you an escort to-"

"Queen Jaydes!"

Mimi turned around to see Bow opening the doors.

"Queen Jaydes, I have someone requesting to see Mimi," Bow explained. "She said she can take her to see Count Blumiere."

Bow stepped aside and another woman came in.

Mimi's eyes widened.

A blue skin woman entered with long, messy pink hair and thick glasses, holding her hands behind her back as if she was nervous. She, aside from having her hair down, looked like a mirror image of Nastasia.

Mimi couldn't help but stare at the girl as she approached Queen Jaydes.

"Aw, Fidelia, good to see you," the dark queen said. "I guess Timpani told him Mimi was here."

Fidelia nodded, shifting her glasses up nervously.

"Yes. Countess Timpani found out not too long ago and told Count Blumiere. He sent me to get Mimi."

She turned to Mimi and gave her a friendly smile. Mimi only stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Then timing couldn't be better," Queen Jaydes said with a smile. "Go ahead and take her to him, though I will send a D-Man later to come pick her up. She has requested another meeting with someone here in the Underwhere."

Fidelia nodded. "Of course, my queen."

She turned to Mimi.

"Are you ready to go? Count Blumiere is looking forward to seeing you, even with the circumstances."

Mimi gave a silent nod in reply. Fidelia smiled a bit and she then made her way out of the room. Mimi followed her, until she was stopped by Bow.

"I will wait here at the palace until you get back," she said. "I'll meet back with you once you're done."

Mimi nodded.

"Okay. Thanks, Bow."

Bow smiled.

"No problem. I'm glad I am able to help a friend of Mario's. Besides, it's been a very long time since I've done anything grand and quest worthy!"

Mimi laughed in reply.

After saying goodbye, she met up with Fidelia, who was waiting for her by the door. Without saying a word, Fidelia led her through the palace and eventually out to the open world of the Underwhere. It was very dark, not that Mimi expected anything different, but there were a lot of narrowed trees and gardens, many people gathering around and enjoying themselves.

_Wow, for what the Underwhere stands for, a lot of people sure seem happy._

Then again, she had only seen _part_ of the land of the dead.

Fidelia and Mimi walked in a very uncomfortable silence, though Mimi couldn't help but stare at Fidelia's appearance. It was like Nastasia was right in front of her, only quieter and self-conscious.

"I…uh, noticed that you keep staring at me," Fidelia finally said timidly. "Is there something wrong?"

Mimi blinked, giving an embarrassed look.

"Oh no, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" she exclaimed. "It's just…you _just_ like someone I know… I mean exactly like her from the glasses to your height!"

Fidelia smiled, even giving a small chuckle.

"Oh I see. I remind you of Nastasia. don't I? Countess Timpani also made that comment when she first met me."

"Oh…so are you and Nastasia related, because of your looks?" Mimi asked curiously. "Are you guys twin sisters or something?"

Fidelia shook her head.

"No. I never met Nastasia and Count Blumiere met her after I died, along with his sister, Anastasia."

"Count Bleck has a sister?"

Fidelia nodded.

"Yes, though she died the same time I did when the Tribe of Darkness was completely killed off."

"'Killed off?' How was the Tribe of Darkness killed off?"

Fidelia blinked, surprised by Mimi's lack of knowledge.

"You don't know? Though, I guess I shouldn't be too shocked. It is a painful memory and a bloody part of history."

She gave a small, forced smile.

"But that is in the past. Right now, we have more important things to worry about."

Fidelia and Mimi then arrived at the edge of a riverbank, the dark waters moving by calmly.

"Count Blumiere told me to bring you here," Fidelia said a worried tone in her voice as she tried to look for him. "He should be around here somewhere..."

She turned to Mimi.

"I apologize for this. I hadn't…well, I didn't think…"

"It's okay," Mimi replied with a friendly smile. "I don't mind waiting a bit. I just hope it doesn't take too long."

"That's good to hear, since I cannot being to count on _how many_ times I've waited for you, Mimi!"

Mimi and Fidelia turned around to see Count Blumiere walking towards them.

"Though compared to O'Chunks, I shouldn't complain too much," Blumiere said thoughtfully, tapping the tip of his staff with his finger. "You know, I could have probably made a lot of money betting on how many times he was late for a meeting or training..."

Mimi's eyes brightened.

"Count Ble-Blumiere!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Mimi ran towards her old master and gave him a huge hug. Blumiere laughed, hugging her back.

"It's good to see you, Mimi," he said with a smile. "I've really missed you and the others."

"We have too," Mimi said backing away. "You and Tippi...or Timpani, whatever she wants to be called."

"Either one is fine. I'm not too picky."

Mimi looked behind Blumiere to see a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and sky blue eyes approached them. She gave a large smile and took a hold of Blumiere's arm. Mimi's eyes widened.

"Wow, Tippi! I would have never recognized you as a human!"

"I don't think any of you would," Timpani said with a small laugh. "Though, I think this would give it away."

She pointed to her hair, where a rainbow butterfly barrette pulled it partly back. Mimi nodded.

"I see. But it really is good to see you two again. Especially...with all that has happened."

Blumiere and Timpani's eyes darkened.

"It would seem...Timpani has told me much of what's been going on," Blumiere said. "I myself am not allowed to watch the living, since it is part of my punishment for trying to destroy all worlds. But Timpani keeps me updated."

"So...you know about Nastasia?

" Blumiere avoided eye contact.

"Only recently. I..."

His voice started to choke up.

"...Excuse me for a second..."

He got himself out of Timpani's grip and distant himself from them a bit. He stared off into the river, obviously trying to get control of his emotions. Timpani gave a sympathetic look.

"He's not taking it well, Mimi. I think part of him is still in denial about what's happened."

She sighed.

"Nastasia really meant a lot to him. He might have not returned her feelings romantically, but she was there for him when he needed someone the most. In a way..."

Timpani's eyes started to tear up.

"...It reminds me so much of Dimentio and I..."

There was a small pause.

"I...I know I should hate Dimentio for all he has done," Timpani said, her voice cracking. "I even told him I hated him for what he has become! But...I don't...for I still see my friend in there, and I cannot begin to tell you how much I miss him!"

She looked into Mimi's eyes.

"Mimi...you have my eternal gratitude for what you have done for him. For being the one thing that I could never be, for freeing him from his mental prison. And I hope...you will continue to do so."

Mimi stared at Timpani, completely shocked by her words.

She had no idea what she was expecting to see...but this certainly was not it. Both Blumiere and Timpani were taking it just as hard as she was. If not more.

"Timpani...I will save Dimentio, as well as Nastasia," Mimi finally said. "It is because of that I am here. For I require both you and Blumiere's help."

Timpani nodded, wiping the tears out of her eyes as she tried to get a hold of herself.

"However...there is one thing I need to know."

Mimi kept her eyes to the ground.

"Did you at all...ever felt something more for Dimentio? I know you love the count, but I just _have_ to know..."

There was a long silence.

"...If things happened differently," Timpani finally said, her voice growing soft, "if I never met Blumiere or have had no one like him ever appear in my life, then maybe I would have returned Dimentio's strong feelings for me."

She got down to Mimi's eye level, trying to look at her in the eyes as if they were equals.

"I love Dimentio with all my heart and more than anything I want what is best for him. And I was not that. True we would have been happy together, we were best friends who looked after each other after all, but we would only imprison ourselves further in our isolated lives. I wanted for us to meet new people and get more out of life then there was in our castle."

She smiled.

"And like I did with Blumiere, Dimentio has finally found someone that he can _truly_ be happy with. And that person is _you_, Mimi."

She stood back up, waiting for Mimi to make a reply. Mimi hesitated a bit.

"I..."

She had no idea how to respond.

Timpani gave a small laugh.

"Did I make it _too_ dramatic? I didn't mean to make it sound _so_ solemn."

Mimi couldn't help but smile. At that moment, Fidelia and Blumiere returned.

"All right, Mimi, you came here for a reason other than to visit us," Blumiere said calmly, though he still sounded emotional. "So what can we do to help?"

"I...don't know if Queen Jaydes will allow it," Mimi answered, "but count, I need you to return to the Mushroom Kingdom with me and confront Nastasia. You are the only one who can put some sense back into her, and it may be the only way to truly save her."

Blumiere's eyes widened.

"Mimi, it isn't that simple," Blumiere said. "I no longer have a physical body, I'm merely just a soul. It is not as easy for me to return to the living as it would be for you."

"But Queen Jaydes can find a way," Mimi countered. "Please, count, we must try!"

"I agree with Mimi," Timpani added. "I'm tired of just sitting here and doing nothing when I know our friends are suffering."

"...It is risky, but I believe you can do it, my lord."

Blumiere stared at Fidelia, who was gazing up at him with pure confidence. Blumiere was speechless, his eyes moving from Mimi, to Timpani, to Fidelia.

"If you don't decide to go, then you are a fool."

Everyone froze.

They all turned around to see a jester dressed in gray and black approach them, his glowing yellow eyes completely emotionless. Mimi's eyes widened.

_The real Lucifer!_

Timpani narrowed her eyes.

"What are _you_ doing here, Lucifer?" she demanded. "You must have really felt spiteful to show your face in front of me, especially now!"

"I don't mean to insult you, young countess," Lucifer replied calmly. "But I was told that someone from the living wanted to see me."

His eyes met Mimi's, which sent a chill go down her spine.

"And you must be her."

Timpani's eyes widened, her gaze turning to Mimi.

"What, you _wanted_ to see Lucifer?" she exclaimed. "But why would you want to see this horrible person? He is the sole reason-"

"I know," Mimi quickly said, cutting Timpani off. "But I wanted to met him. I wanted to know the truth."

Lucifer gave a small smile.

"An admirable answer. For most people would rather be in denial then learn the truth, for it is usually too painful for them to handle."

His eyes darkened.

"A lesson that I learned far too late. For it not only cost me my life, but the lives of my family."

Timpani narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, yes you did. You were too blind to see what was truly important until it was gone. You're lucky enough as it is for Cynthia to still love you!"

Lucifer glared at Timpani but said nothing. He then returned his attention back to Mimi.

"I assume you are surprised that I'm not as 'monstrous' as my shadow appears," Lucifer said, his voice flat and expressionless. "Perhaps when I was alive I was...or at least in the eyes of my son."

He turned his gaze towards the river.

"It may be hard to believe, but I _did_ love my son, along with my wife. They were the two best things that have ever happened to me. But I was too blinded and mad with restoring my family's honor and power within our tribe to realize that. That was all I cared about in life...power. So much so that I tortured an _innocent child_, my own flesh and blood to achieve it! I was not a father, nor was I a teacher. I...don't even know what to call myself."

Lucifer returned his gaze back to the others.

"I do not deserve forgiveness, I do not deserve to be in the better parts of the Underwhere, nor to have the wife who I love so dearly take me back. And yet...King Grambi and Queen Jaydes had the mercy not to have me executed in the River Twygz or have me imprisoned with the monster Bonechill. Maybe having eternal regret saved me from eternal damnation."

Lucifer looked deeply into Mimi's eyes.

"I know I have no right to ask you this, but please, save my son from my..._evil_. I don't expect him to forgive me but I no longer want him to suffer by my own hand. Nor do I want this girl to suffer either."

He met Blumiere's gaze.

"If you do not go I will _personally_ make you regret that decision. Go back to the living and set things right. For at least you have the chance to. ...A chance that I can never have."

Without waiting for a reply, Lucifer turned his back on them and walked away. Mimi watched him go, her eyes never leaving him until his whole figure disappeared.

Lucifer... She had no idea if she should hate him for what he did, or pity him for losing so much. Either way, it made her determination grow stronger, giving her another reason to succeed.

There was a long silence.

"...Are you guys ready to go?" Mimi finally asked.

Blumiere nodded.

"Yes."

He turned to Fidelia.

"Tell Anastasia and Countess Rachele what's happening. Stay by their side until Timpani and I return safely."

Fidelia nodded, and without a word, ran off. Timpani took a hold of Blumiere's arm again, and the three of them made their way back to Queen Jaydes's palace.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Around mid afternoon, Dimentio slowly opened his eyes, his head feeling a slight pain. He groaned a bit, rubbing his head as his eyes adjusted to the light.

Why…why did he feel like someone had been drugging him?

Dimentio glanced over to his side where Mimi had been last night, and to his disappointment, she was not there.

_Must have gone back to her room._

After getting the energy and stability to stand, Dimentio got out of bed and went over to Mimi's room. To his surprise, the door was wide open.

"…Mimi?" Dimentio called out softly.

No answer came.

Dimentio's heart started to pound faster.

He looked inside and there was no trace of Mimi.

Dimentio's eyes widened.

Where…where could she have gone? Have the boo's taken her away? Intense panic went through him.

_"Ugh, this is taking forever!"_

Dimentio froze at the sound of one of the boos. It sounded like it came from the other side of his door. Dimentio slowly approached the door and put his ear against it. He heard another boo sigh.

"What did you expect? Of course it is going to take forever! They went to the Underwhere after all."

Dimentio's eyes widened.

_The Underwhere? _Who_ went to the Underwhere?!_

The first boo groaned.

"I know, dude! But it is just _so_ boring guarding this guy! I mean, I know he is that psycho who escaped the Underwhere, but he has yet to do anything…you know, _psychotic_!"

"Are you _high_?" the second boo exclaimed, loud enough for Dimentio to hear him perfectly. "Dude, we would be dead in, like, two seconds if this guy goes off! It is a miracle Bootler was even able to drug him to keep him unconscious!"

"Speaking of drugging him, shouldn't we give him another dose? He could wake up at any time now…"

_And so I did._

Dimentio grinned at that thought.

"Oh what's the matter? Weren't you complaining about there not being enough action?"

"S-shut up!" Boo One exclaimed, his voice shaking. "I just…well, I just don't want to be the one that the psycho targets!"

"And if you want to stay on my good side," Dimentio replied. "I suggest you give me an explanation."

There was a long silence.

"…Holy shit dude, _he is awake_!" Boo Two whimpered in fear.

Dimentio rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I have established that by talking to you," he said. "Now, would you be so kind as to explain to me why you drugged me?"

"Uh..."

There was a pause in Boo One's reply.

The two boos whispered to each other, and unfortunately, Dimentio couldn't understand them. He tapped against the door with his fingers, indicating he was growing impatient.

"Uh…hey, Dimentio, dude," Boo Two finally said. "We would _love_ to tell you, but we can't. You see…we had specific orders not to tell you…"

"Yeah, and we also can't tell you where your hot girlfriend is!"

There was a loud slap sound as Boo Two hit Boo One. Dimentio's eye twitched.

"Oh, so you know where Mimi is?" he asked, surprisingly calm.

"No, no we don't!" Boo Two quickly said.

"Yeah, we don't!" Boo One agreed. "She _totally_ did not go to the Underwhere with Lady Bow!"

Again, there was a loud slap sound.

Dimentio clutched his fists, leaning against the door as he tried to control his emotions. Mimi…the boos have taken her to the Underwhere! This…this was worse than having him being sent back to there!

"Uh…crazy jester dude?" Boo One asked nervously. "Please don't tell me you are about to start a massacre or something… I _really_ don't want to die…"

"Dude, just shut up," Boo Two said coldly. "You pretty much spilled the beans to him. Don't make things any worse!"

"But what else was I suppose to do?!"

"Uh, I don't know? _Stay quiet_!"

"But he would have killed me if I didn't say anything!"

"Now he is going to kill you because you _told him everything_!"

"And perhaps not, if you answer me one last question."

There was a tensed silence. Dimentio's breathing thickened.

"Tell me…did you send Mimi to the Underwhere dead or alive?"

"Holy crap, you actually think we _killed_ her?" Boo One exclaimed.

"Shut up and let me do the talking!" Boo Two snapped.

He turned his attention to Dimentio.

"She is alive, Lady Bow just took her down to see Queen Jaydes for something important. I don't know why, I swear, but your girl is safe. Now, as long as you stay here in your room and not do anything crazy, you will see her again in no time, I promise."

"But doesn't the Underwhere time work differently then-"

Boo One couldn't finish his sentence as Boo Two slapped him again.

Dimentio smiled.

"Thank you for cooperating. Now if you excuse me…"

Taking a step back, Dimentio summoned an electric sphere at the door, causing it to get destroyed.

The two boos who were guarding his door screamed at the top of their lungs, along with the other boos. Dimentio turned himself invisible and levitated through the mansion, the boos all in a panic and leaving the mansion.

_Why are all these boos so scared, like frightened children on Halloween? All I did was break down a door._

Suddenly, a huge explosion went through the mansion, sounding like it was coming from the front door.

_Well that explains it._

Dimentio teleported down to the location of the explosion. His eyes widened when he saw it was caused by a huge robot with a large metal green hat and mustache. It had blown a huge hole into the Boo's Mansion, causing some fire to spread. Jumping out of the cockpit, a man dressed in all black came out, his dim blue eyes filled with amusement. Dimentio couldn't help but show himself.

"…Mr. L?"

Mr. L looked up at the sound of his name. He smiled at the sight of Dimentio.

"Long time-no-see, Dimentio," Mr. L said with a smirk. "How was it getting to know the lighter side of me?"

Dimentio clutched his fists, giving off a mad chuckle.

"Oh, I don't think that is too hard for you to figure out, my dear old friend."

He flew down to Mr. L's level.

"But, what brings you back? I thought you were gone for good."

Mr. L laughed.

"You will _never_ get rid of me, Dimentio! Either side. And as to why I am here, I came by to claim what is rightfully mine."

He looked into Dimentio's eyes.

"I'm here for Mimi."

There was a long silence as Dimentio and Mr. L glared at each other.

Suddenly, Dimentio began to laugh uncontrollably, his eyes glowing with madness and procession. He slowly backed away from Mr. L, though his eyes never left him.

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" Dimentio cried. "You will regret _every single word_ you just said to me, my friend!"

He summoned an electric sphere and sent it straight at Mr. L.

"_For I will never lose Mimi to you!_ _I will have you drown in a pool of your own blood_!"

* * *

Mimi, Blumiere, and Timpani finally arrived at Queen Jaydes's palace, where Bow and the queen waited for them. The dark queen smiled.

"Have you gotten all you needed to accomplish?" she asked.

Mimi nodded.

"Yes. And now I am ready to return to the Mushroom Kingdom."

She paused.

"…Along with Blumiere and Timpani."

Bow's eyes widened, as if surprised by the request. Blumiere gave a worried expression while Timpani refused to remove eye contact with Queen Jaydes. Queen Jaydes hesitated for a second.

"…Under normal circumstances, I would never allow, especially with a spirit with Blumiere's sins, to return to life. It is unnatural and very painful for the spirit's love ones, despite seeing them again for a short time."

She paused for a second, her eyes unreadable.

"However, loosing someone who you love tragically can cause some great psychiatric trauma, which defiantly happened to Nastasia. So I will allow it, anything to get the Star Rod back into the right hands."

Blumiere nodded.

"I understand. I will do what I can. I just hope…that it is the right thing to do."

Queen Jaydes nodded as well.

She then moved her gaze to Timpani.

"Though you have no connection to Nastasia, you do have a connection to Dimentio. I'm only letting you go in case Mimi needs help with controlling him."

Timpani's eyes darkened a bit.

"I…don't know how much I could do, but I will try. I will do anything to help my friends."

"And that I do not doubt."

Queen Jaydes met Mimi gaze.

"I wish you luck on your battle. Do not underestimate your opponent, for even though you are facing a shadow spirit, they can still be as deadly as the real person. Especially one of a powerful magician."

With that said, Queen Jaydes left and went back to the castle.

"Well, this shall be interesting," Bow said once Queen Jaydes was out of ear shot. "I will admit I have no idea what will happen when a ghost of the Underwhere passes through the door."

She turned to Blumiere and Timpani.

"Anyway, my name is Lady Bow, head of Boo's Mansion. Pleased to meet you."

Blumiere tipped his hat in reply and Timpani smiled.

"So do we just leave the same way we came?" Mimi asked.

Bow nodded.

"Yep. And again, it shall be interesting what will happen when the count and countess go in."

Mimi blinked, but she did not question it. After all, they needed to get back to the Mushroom Kingdom, and fast.

_I hope Dimentio is doing okay..._

Had he even realized she had been gone yet? And if he did, how well was he taking it? How would he react to seeing Blumiere and Timpani again?

_Perhaps I should talk to him a bit before having him see them. After all, it would be a shock to see someone back from the dead. _

Eventually, Bow, Mimi, Blumiere, and Timpani arrived at the same black door Bow and Mimi had used earlier. Bow opened the door and she turned to the others.

"Blumiere, Timpani, why don't you two go ahead and enter first," she said. "In case something goes wrong, Mimi and I will be able to help you."

Blumiere nodded.

"Alright."

Taking a hold of Timpani's hand, the two of them stepped through the door. As they did, their bodies immediately disappeared, like they had turned into thin air. Mimi's eyes grew wide and Bow chuckled softly.

"Don't worry. You did the exact same thing coming here. If everything went right, they should be back at my mansion."

Mimi stared wide eyed at the door.

"So...can I go through?"

Bow rolled her eyes.

"Yes, you can go. There is no reason why you can't."

Mimi took in a deep breath of air. Closing her eyes, she went through the door. Like before, she felt the air around her change, only from cold to warmth. The feeling of warmth was a great relief to Mimi, especially after spending so much time in the Underwhere. Soon, she reopened her eyes and found herself back at Boo's Mansion's basement. There, Blumiere and Timpani were waiting. Mimi smiled.

"I guess you guys have physical bodies again," she said. "That's good."

"Not quite."

Blumiere put his hand towards one of the boxes, where it went straight through it.

"Apparently Queen Jaydes made it to where Timpani and I could have a body to support us in this world for a short period of time," Blumiere explained. "With the ability to go through solid objects, we can't interact with the world."

His eyes darkened.

"Even though we are out of the Underwhere, Queen Jaydes made it to where we would _have_ to come back."

"But she said you could come back," Mimi pointed out. "Doesn't she trust you, count?"

"Personal trust has nothing to do with it," Timpani said. "No matter who you are, once you are dead you _cannot_ come back to life. Dimentio was not the first person to try to escape the Underwhere; he was just the first person to succeed. So, even though Blumiere and I have returned, we are still not fully alive. After all, Queen Jaydes can't have souls wondering free after they have been dead for some time, even with the reasons we have."

Mimi gave a blank stare.

"...This is _far_ more complicated than it needs to be..."

Timpani laughed.

"In a way. But life and death have always been complicated."

"That is true."

Bow appeared as she closed the door to the Underwhere behind her.

"Now that everyone is here, we should start making our plan for getting the Star Rod back," Bow said, "and stopping this out of control shadow spirit. So...any ideas?"

"Wait, we can't start planning now!" Mimi exclaimed. "We still need to let Dimentio know what is going on."

Bow looked down at Mimi, a sympathetic look in her eyes.

"Mimi…let's face it, Dimentio is too unstable to be trusted with something as important as this. And since this shadow spirit is designed to destroy him, it would be best if he just stays here until it is dealt with."

"But Dimentio also knows its weaknesses the best," Mimi countered. "It is a replica of his father, after all."

"That may be true, Mimi," Timpani said gently. "But he can also get severely hurt. I know Lucifer just as well as Dimentio does. I can easily help with finding out its weaknesses."

"But..."

Mimi stared at both Timpani and Bow, shocked by their words. She quickly turned to Blumiere, hoping to find some support from him. But, to her dismay, Blumiere avoided eye contact.

"I think it is for the best if Dimentio stayed behind," he finally said. "Since I do not know how Nastasia will react to seeing him. If we are going to have our best chance at saving her, Dimentio needs to stay here."

Mimi clutched her fists.

She was about to make another reply, until Bootler rushed down the stairs.

"Lady Bow, thank goodness you have returned!" Bootler exclaimed, his voice filled with fear.

"Bootler, what's wrong?" Bow asked, sensing that something was wrong.

Mimi felt her heart stop.

"I don't know, it happened so fast!" Bootler explained, his voice shaking. "This...giant robot just appeared out of nowhere and started attacking the mansion! And then Dimentio escaped and I think he knew who that robot belong to, because a man came out of it. And, you won't believe it, my lady, but he looked _just like_ Luigi!"

Mimi gasped and Blumiere's eyes widened.

"Oh my God, it can't be!" Mimi cried.

Bootler turned to her.

"Then you know this man?" he asked.

Mimi nodded.

"Yes. That is Mr. L, a darker side of Luigi that Nastasia created by brainwashing him. It is a long story, but Dimentio thought that there was something going on between Mr. L and I, when there _wasn't_, and he never took it that well. However...Luigi never let his darker half take control after..."

Tears started to form in Mimi's eyes.

"Luigi must have been caught by the shadow spirit and Nastasia and was transformed back into Mr. L. It is the only explanation!"

Imagines of what could happen between Dimentio and Mr. L played in Mimi's mind, each one more gruesome than the last.

Without warning, Mimi ran up the stairs and stormed out of the basement. The others tried to call her back, but she didn't listen. For she had to reach Mr. L and Dimentio before they severely hurt themselves. She pushed the door to the basement and her eyes widened in horror.

The whole mansion was catching on fire, Brobot standing in a huge hole where the front door once was. Boos were screaming in midst panic, all fleeing for their lives as their home went up in flames. At the first floor, Dimentio used his magic to throw, electrocute, burn, and so many other things to Mr. L. Mr. L was completely defenseless, his clothes torn with his hat and mask off. His body was covered in blood, his right arm seemingly broken.

If it wasn't for his screaming, Mimi would have thought he was already dead.

Dimentio threw Mr. L against what remained of the stairs, laughing like a manic at the top of his lungs. Mr. L cried out in pain, using all his strength to keep his eyes open. Dimentio smiled at his suffering, giving him more inspiration to shoot another electric sphere at him. And another, and another, and another. Mr. L tried to make eye contact with Dimentio.

"...S-so, you are really...taking...this _so_...personally?" he said, despite the pain. "I had _no_ idea I...made this _big_...of an...impact...on you."

He smirked.

"Guess this...goes to...show who _really_...has the advantage...of winning...Mimi...over!"

Dimentio's sadistic glee vanished. His face glowed with rage as he fired another large electric sphere at Mr. L.

"Even at the face of death, you still have to be the arrogant bastard!" Dimentio yelled. "Though this time, I don't have to put up with it!"

He teleported to Mr. L's side and kicked him straight in the face.

"The _only_ reason I didn't kill you last time was because I needed you to host the Chaos Heart," Dimentio whispered in a low voice. "But now that it is gone, you are absolutely _useless_ to me!"

"Or…a threat…because you know…"

Mr. L didn't have time to finish his sentence as Dimentio got down on his knees and grabbed him by the throat. Mr. L gasped for air as Dimentio summoned a knife with his free hand. He placed the knife at Mr. L's throat, looking at him straight in the eye. A mad smile appeared on Dimentio's lips as Mr. L's eyes widened with fear.

"Ciao, Mr. L! _Ah ha ha ha ha_!"

"_Dimentio, stop_!"

Dimentio's body completely froze as Mimi quickly pulled him away from Mr. L. Dimentio dropped his knife.

"M-Mimi!"

"What were you thinking?!" Mimi shouted, her eyes burning into Dimentio's. "_You could have killed Luigi_!"

"Ah, sticking up for me?"

Mr. L weakly sat up a bit, trying to meet Mimi's gaze. He smiled slightly.

"I always knew you would choose me in the end," he said smugly. "After all, we do have the more stable relationship. And neither of us are freaks."

Dimentio would have attacked Mr. L again if Mimi hadn't restrained him.

"Dimentio," Mimi said, desperate to sound calm and gentle, "calm down. You're only going to make things worse…"

Dimentio met Mimi's gaze.

"She's right, Dimentio," Mr. L commented before Dimentio could reply. "You are just going to make things worse for yourself."

With the little strength he had left, Mr. L stood up and weakly approached Mimi. He smirked.

"Though, why you waste your time with a guy like him is beyond me. You could do a _lot_ better, Mimi."

He gave her a small kiss on the lips. Mimi's body completely froze up, her face turning slightly red.

Like something snapped internally, Dimentio was able to get out of Mimi's grasp and threw a giant, powerful electric sphere. It hit Mr. L straight in the heart, causing him to fly across the room.

"_Luigi_!" Mimi screamed.

"_Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha_!"

Dimentio slowly approached Mr. L, who laid deathly still on the floor as some of the fire spread closer to him.

"_My mansion_!"

Bow and Bootler rushed out of the basement, Bow looking like she was going to faint from shock. She then saw Mr. L and Dimentio.

"Mimi," Bow said in a very low voice, "get _him_ out of here. _Now_."

Being brought back to reality, Mimi took a hold Dimentio's arm and teleported to somewhere safe.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Teleporting right outside the mansion's front gate, Mimi got a firm grip on Dimentio and pinned him against a tree. She blocked any sort of escape for him to make, even though Dimentio was putting up little resistance. Only laughing maniacally.

"Dimentio, do you have any idea what you just did?!" Mimi exclaimed, trying to bring some sense of reality back to him. "Not only did you try to murder someone, but you also burned down our only ally's home!"

Dimentio laughed.

"Ally? _Bellezza_, the boos were anything but allies!"

He pushed Mimi off of him, slowly moving closer to her.

"If the boos were my allies, they wouldn't have locked us up like prisoners!" Dimentio cried, his voice rising in pitch. "If they were allies, they wouldn't have dragged you off to the Underwhere! They wouldn't, in a desperate attempt to control me, drug me in my unconscious state!"

The closer he came, Mimi would take a step back. Eventually, Dimentio had her cornered to the fence.

"However, my wrath should not be towards them," Dimentio continued, madness glowing in his mismatched eyes. "For Luigi obviously failed in trying to learn anything."

"What Luigi did was not his fault!" Mimi exclaimed. "He-"

She cut herself off as Dimentio leaned in extra close to her.

"Mimi, he had come to the mansion to take you away! He...he had the audacity to _kiss_ you! And you...you actually _liked_ it for a few seconds!"

"_Will you stop that_!"

Mimi looked deeply into Dimentio's eyes.

"Luigi, or Mr. L, would have _never_ acted like that under their own will. They were being controlled by the shadow spirit of your father that was summoned by the Star Rod. And the Star Rod is under the possession of Nastasia, who is using it to get revenge on you."

Dimentio's eyes widened.

"This is what Nastasia wants you to do," Mimi continued, her voice and gaze softening a bit. "She is trying to make you pay for what you did back at Castle Bleck. But now that revenge has gotten out of hand. The shadow spirit of your father, being controlled by _your_ memories of him, is out of control and using Nastasia's wrath against her."

She gently placed her hand against Dimentio's cheek.

"If you don't bring yourself together, then any possible future for us is gone. For losing your mind like this only means that monster is closer to victory."

There was a long silence, dark clouds casting long shadows over the forest. There was the sound of thunder, and rain began to pour down. Dimentio, even though he was getting soaked by the rain, took a hold of Mimi's hand, squeezing it tightly. A small smile appeared on his face, giving off a soft chuckle.

"...A shadow spirit. Why did I not think of that before?"

He let go of Mimi's hand and turned his back on her, laughing to himself.

"It would explain how my 'father' returned from the dead. It would explain everything! And Nastasia..."

His grin grew.

"I never thought she would have it in her to do such a horrid deed as this. Ah ha ha ha! But apparently, love's wicked cruelties can crack even the most structured of people!"

He turned to face Mimi.

"But how, _bellezza_, did you figure this all out? I never would have suspected that you would know what a shadow spirit is."

Mimi mentally sighed to herself, relieved to see Dimentio calm again.

"That's because Bow went to see Queen Jaydes of the Underwhere, who said Lucifer never left," she explained. "And she also mentioned that it was Bowser who stole the Star Rod, but apparently was betrayed from the overwhelming amount of dead koopas Queen Jaydes saw. It didn't take long for me to figure out it was Nastasia, for I knew she had seen through your disguise. And her motive wasn't hard to figure out either, and I came up with a plan."

She paused for a moment.

"...If we could get Nastasia to see Count Blumiere again, maybe he could make her snap out of it. She was completely crushed that she lost him, so maybe seeing him again will help heal her to let go."

"Ah yes, our dear old count would defiantly get Nastasia to snap out of it," Dimentio said. "But one does not just bring back someone from the grave. Even the greatest of necromancers have only the littlest of chances to bring back a soul from the Underwhere or the Overthere."

"I know; that's why I went to the Underwhere to see Queen Jaydes," Mimi replied. "And I got her to agree to bring Blumiere back for a short time."

Dimentio smiled.

"And yet what good would it do? The shadow spirit of my father is still there to deal with."

He put his hand to his forehead and started laughing.

"Mimi, facing a shadow spirit, one that was summoned by the Star Rod, is even _worse_ than fighting my real father! Ah ha ha ha ha! There…is no way to win! Ah ha ha ha…"

He fell to his knees, his laughing growing softer as the rain continued to pour on them.

"My father was right. I will _never_ be able to get rid of him! I…thought I finally was able to face him, but I was clearly wrong like a naïve child! His will, even in death, still lives and will hunt me down until I am no more. And with the Star Rod helping Nastasia's darkest desires come true, I can never hope to defeat them…"

Tears fell down Dimentio's eyes, the feeling of defeat going right through his heart. Mimi came to Dimentio side.

"Dimentio, the battle isn't over yet! We can still win this; we can still have a happy life together!"

Dimentio gave what sounded like a mix between a sob and a laugh.

"No… The Star Rod is nearly invincible, and with a shadow spirit with power as my father's made even stronger, it becomes the perfect combination of invincibility! A great offense plus with an unlimited supply of wishes of whatever you desire, and for Nastasia, it is my eternal suffering and eventual death! Tell me, my dear, _how_ am I going to survive that which as all of my weakness at its disposal?"

"By staying strong, just like you always are."

Dimentio's eyes widened.

He and Mimi turned to see Timpani, the rain going right through her. Timpani met Dimentio's gaze, a long silence between them. She slowly approached him, taking his hand gently as she helped him stand up. She gave a quick glance at Mimi.

"The fire at the mansion is being taken care of, thanks to the rain, and Blumiere is now healing Luigi's wounds," Timpani said. "Go ahead and go back to the mansion. I will take care of Dimentio from here."

Mimi nodded in reply. Dimentio, completely speechless, gave a resentful look. With a reassuring smile, Mimi kissed Dimentio's cheek. She then quickly headed back to the mansion.

"She will be fine," Timpani said as she noticed Dimentio's worried look. "With Blumiere and Lady Bow, nothing will come to harm her if the shadow spirit decides to attack."

She moved Dimentio's wet hair from his face.

"Let's get you out of the rain. The last thing you need is to catch a cold."

Without any resistance from Dimentio, Timpani led him further into the forest, where she found a small dry area under a tree. Timpani made Dimentio sit down and settling herself next to him, she smiled and said, "Now that's better, isn't it?"

Dimentio started at Timpani for a long moment, before he moved his gaze to the ground.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice completely emotionless. "I thought you would enjoy seeing the monster I have become suffer like this."

Timpani's eyes flashed.

"You know I'm not like that. I feel no satisfaction of witnessing people's pain."

Dimentio gave a small smile.

"And yet I am still the psycho that you despise so much. Wouldn't you rather be with your precious Blumiere then with me, a person who you have grown to hate?"

Timpani forced Dimentio to look at her in the eye.

"I could never hate my best friend," Timpani said sincerely. "What I hated was the madness that was controlling you, the mask you were hiding beneath. The _thing_ I saw serving Count Bleck, another person I hate, was the monster I loathed."

She paused for a second.

"Dimentio, just because I choose to be with Blumiere does not mean I never loved you too. Like it was painful for me to see Blumiere as Bleck, it was painful for me to see you and what you became. I care greatly for both of you, back then and now, and that will never change."

"And if you love me as much as you said you did," Dimentio questioned, narrowing his eyes. "Then why did you choose to be with _him_, knowing it would destroy me?"

Timpani was silent for a moment, her eyes glowing with regret.

"Because at that time, everything so confusing to me. Because I was not sure what to do and how to handle the situation without harming the both of you."

She sighed.

"I choose to go with Blumiere because my feelings for him were so strong, and I knew I wanted him most of all. And also...because I did not want to imprison you anymore than our parents had. I wanted you to have the chance to meet someone who was great and wonderful to you as Blumiere was to me. I wanted to you to experience life and all its possibilities, just like I did."

She smiled.

"And you did. You have Mimi, who you would have never met if I kept you. Despite all the evil that has happened, I am glad that you were able to find someone to love other than me, to have them love you back. And...even though I caused you so much pain, I hope you are still able to forgive me."

A few tears fell from Timpani's eyes as she wiped them away.

"Because I am truly sorry that I couldn't have handled the situation better. Perhaps if I did confront you earlier, even though I was afraid to...then maybe I could have saved us from all this pain."

There was a long silence, the rain around them slowly ceasing. Dimentio leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, a large grin on his face.

"Perhaps things would have been different if you had confronted me before I found you and Blumiere out," he said softly. "And perhaps not. We will never know. But I think you should know by now, my lady, that I can never resent you. You still hold back a part of me that will always long to be with you. That will never change, no matter how mad I am."

He paused.

"But the rest of me is now devoted to Mimi, who has done so much for me I cannot being to describe."

He opened his eyes and made eye contact with her.

"But what is the point now? I am already dead. It is only a matter of time before Nastasia's wish is complete. What is the point of fighting if I'm just running in circles like on some sort of race track? Even with you and Blumiere back, the shadow spirit will not rest until the wish is complete."

"And yet some wishes are just never meant to be fulfilled," Timpani replied. "Dimentio, you cannot give up now!"

Dimentio met Timpani's gaze.

"And why not, my lady? Why should I fight a battle I cannot win?"

"Because if you give up on living, you give up on Mimi."

The rain finally stopped, though the dark clouds still covered the land. Dimentio and Timpani stared at each other for a very long moment. Finally, Timpani stood up.

"Everything at the mansion should be under control by now. With everything calm again, we need to get back."

"_You_ need to get back," Dimentio said, standing up as well. "But I won't be welcomed back. There is no point in my return."

Timpani met his gaze.

"We can't afford to be holding grudges now. There are bigger problems to deal with, all that you are a part of."

She gently took a hold of his hand.

"And you need to return to Mimi, who will be waiting for you."

With that said, Timpani guided Dimentio back to the mansion.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Once Mimi reached inside the gates to the mansion's grounds, she could immediately smell the smoke. Like Timpani said, the rain was causing the fire to quickly lose strength. The boos were still all in a panic, but Bootler was doing his best to calm them down. Standing within a good distance from the mansion, and using magic to shield himself from the rain, Blumiere was using all of his power to protect and heal Luigi. Mimi's eyes widened.

"Luigi!"

She quickly rushed over to them, though a magical barrier prevented her from getting close. Bow saw her and quickly levitated to her.

"Mimi, where is Dimentio?" Bow demanded.

"He's with Timpani," Mimi answered, ignoring the hostility in Bow's voice. "She'll keep him calm, don't worry."

Bow's eyes darkened.

"She better. For if I see that psycho for what he did to my mansion..."

Mimi narrowed her eyes.

She would have made a reply, but Bow quickly went inside of Blumiere's force field. She talked to him, though Mimi could not hear them, and Blumiere turned to face her. He snapped his fingers, causing an opening in the force field. Mimi stepped inside, her whole body soaked. Using his magic once again, Blumiere summoned a large towel and handed it to Mimi. She smiled gratefully in reply, wrapping it around herself. She looked down at Luigi, who was completely covered in blood and burns. His eyes were closed shut and he laid deathly still. Her eyes began to water.

"Is...Luigi going to make it?" Mimi asked softly.

Blumiere leaned over Luigi, using his magic to heal his wounds. His gaze was dark.

"...I don't know, Mimi. I can heal all of his physical wounds and produce enough blood for what he lost, but magic can only do so much. It will ultimately depend on his mental state and will."

The count paused.

"But Luigi is strong willed, so I have no doubt that he is fighting to stay alive."

He turned to Bow.

"As soon as we can, we have to take him to a hospital," Blumiere said. "Is there any nearby?"

Bow nodded.

"There is one in Toad Town. I can have my boos take him there whenever you think he is able to move."

"We will have to wait until the rain has stopped," Blumiere advised. "Getting him chilled is the last thing he needs. And...we will have to make sure Dimentio stays away, in case he goes off again."

He made eye contact with Mimi. Mimi said nothing in reply, her eyes on Luigi. Anger swelled up within her_. _

_How...how can Nastasia do this? How could she have _not_ realized that others would get hurt!_

She clutched her fists.

_And all of this just for revenge!_

"Mimi."

Mimi was brought back to reality as Bow tried to get her attention.

"Mimi, once all of this is settled," Bow said, a dark tone in her voice. "We need to find another place to put Dimentio before we go after Nastasia and the shadow spirit."

"Locking him up won't do us any good," Mimi replied. "You locked us up when we first came here, and look what happened!"

Bow narrowed her eyes.

"Well if you expect me to let that psycho, after what he has done, wander free then think again. I trust a kleptomaniac with my bank account more than him! His instability will get us all killed!"

"And then what?" Mimi questioned, her voice rising. "What good will it do for Dimentio if he can't face his fears?"

"That will be up to Queen Jaydes, once we turn him in to her."

Mimi's eyes widened.

"_What_?! Bow…you can't-"

"Mimi, he is supposed to be in the Underwhere to begin with!" Bow's eyes flashed with rage. "It is where he belongs and I intend to bring him back!"

Mimi clutched her fists.

"Bow, I beg you, don't bring Dimentio back to the Underwhere! It can't end for him like this…"

"And let him have a second chance at life when others have deserved it more?"

Bow glanced over at Blumiere.

"The count and is wife are more qualified to have a second chance at life then Dimentio does! He is a murderer and a sociopath! You, Mimi, would even be a lot better off without him! You could actually live, without worrying about whether or not he will go off!"

"And yet I made my decision," Mimi replied, her voice cracking. "I love Dimentio. I _want_ to be with him, help him, and be by his side. I've been wanting that ever since I first met him."

Bow's eyes widened.

"…You're mad! Mimi, do you have any idea what he has done for you?"

"He has made me see things in a different light," Mimi answered. "He has made me think about life and people. We have been together through so much; we each had our own share of pain. We understand each other and know how to help one another."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not going to abandon him. Bow, you are acting no better than Nastasia. And like her, I will fight you in order to protect him."

Bow was silent, staring at Mimi with shock.

Suddenly, Blumiere cried out fell down to the ground, the force field disappearing. Mimi and Bow gasped and quickly went to Blumiere's side.

"C-count, are you okay?" Mimi asked worriedly.

Blumiere sat up, using Bow and Mimi for support. He rubbed his head.

"…I'm fine, but I used so much energy healing Luigi, plus keeping the force field up."

He gave a reassuring smile.

"I just need to rest for a second, now that I fully healed him and the rain has stopped."

Mimi looked up at the dark gray sky, now realizing it was no longer raining. The mansion was completely black and scorched, but the fire was now gone.

Blumiere turned to Bow. "Can you send someone to take Luigi to the hospital?"

Bow nodded in reply.

She levitated over to where the boos were, calling for Bootler.

"Bootler," Bow ordered, "I need you to take Luigi to the hospital in Toad Town. Count Blumiere has healed him physically, but he still needs medical attention."

"Yes, Lady Bow," Bootler replied. "But what should I say if they ask what happened?"

"Try to avoid the subject as much as possible," Bow answered. "But if they ask, just say there was an accident."

Bootler nodded in reply.

Turning to a couple of boos, he gave out the same order Bow had given him. Two boos came up to Luigi and carried him away; two other boos following them as escorts. Bow, Mimi, and Blumiere watched them go.

"He should be there in no time," Bow said once they were gone. "He will be safe now."

"That is a relief to hear."

Blumiere, Bow, and Mimi turned to see Timpani coming towards them, Dimentio right behind her. Timpani smiled.

"I'm glad that Luigi is doing better," she said. "It would be horrible for him to die like that…"

"Yes, but it is up to him if he is going to live," Blumiere said grimly, now having the strength to stand up. "His fate is with his own will."

Blumiere moved his gaze to Dimentio.

"And if Luigi does die because of you and your insecurity, note that I will make you pay for it," he said darkly.

"Don't you think I know that?" Dimentio replied calmly. "Like a man blinded by emotion and guilt, your ideas and actions are predictable."

Blumiere narrowed his eyes.

"How can you be so cold?"

"Because it is the only way to keep myself in control. You, of all people, should know what I mean."

Dimentio moved towards Mimi's side, taking a hold of her hand.

"If we are going to go after the shadow spirit, we need to act quickly," he said solemnly. "If it hasn't already, it won't be long before it realizes Mr. L has failed. We need to act before it strikes again, for the next attack will be even more devastating."

"And since when were _you_ put in charge?"

Bow floated towards Dimentio, hatred burning in her eyes.

"You are not a part of this!" she exclaimed. "I will not allow you to cause anymore damage then you already have!"

Dimentio blinked, his eyes emotionless.

"If you are mad at me for what happened to your mansion, then you are a fool. It was Mr. L's robot that started the fire, not me."

He gestured to Brobot, which was still in the half destroyed mansion.

"And Mr. L's return is the fault of Nastasia, for she summoned the shadow spirit, who reawakened him and sent him to destroy me," Dimentio continued. "In reality, aiming your wrath at me is unjustified."

Bow shook with rage, clutching her fan tightly as mixed emotions burned in her gaze.

"But yet-"

"And even if you were to lock me up again," Dimentio said cutting Bow off. "I would just simply escape. My magic isn't to be underestimated, nor is my intelligence."

He turned to face the others.

"Besides, you are going to need my help to defeat the shadow spirit. For only I can distract it long enough for you to get to Nastasia. You still want to save her, don't you?"

Blumiere's eyes flashed.

"Of course! But I don't think-"

"Nastasia would not attack me herself," Dimentio cut him off. "She would just summon another weakness of mine with the Star Rod and have it attack me. And even me confronting her would be a slim chance, for the shadow spirit will be close to her, like a loyal dog to its master."

He looked at everyone in the eye.

"No matter how you look at it, me coming along is the only way to grant success."

"And you just expect us to let you fight the shadow spirit by yourself?" Timpani questioned.

"It is the only way," Dimentio replied, meeting Timpani's gaze. "Besides, if I face him by myself, I won't have any distractions. And we still need someone to rescue the three heroes, along with O'Chunks."

"But where are they?" Mimi asked. "With how long the shadow spirit has been in control, who knows where they could be!"

"I know where they are," Bow said, her voice completely flat. "Queen Jaydes told me that she was able to get into brief contact with the Star Spirits while I was waiting for you guys in the Underwhere, and they said Mario and the others were imprisoned at Bowser's Castle."

"But that's on the other side of the Mushroom Kingdom, isn't it?" Timpani exclaimed. "We don't have the time to rescue them and then go after the shadow spirit!"

"That's because we will have to split up," Dimentio answered. "Blumiere, Bow, and I will go to after the shadow spirit while you and Mimi go rescue the others."

"Oh no!"

Everyone's attention turned to Mimi. She looked deeply into Dimentio's eyes.

"Where you go, I go," Mimi stated stubbornly. "I won't allow us to be apart with a dangerous mission like this!"

"And yet the shadow spirit can use you against me," Dimentio reasoned. "Mimi, I can't afford the chance of the shadow spirit hurting you."

"I won't let it," Mimi replied. "No matter what you say, Dimentio, I'm going with you!"

"Mimi…"

They stared into each others eyes for a long moment. Bow sighed.

"Just let her go. And besides, she would be a lot more useful than I would be, since Nastasia knows her. Perhaps she could help her snap out of it with the count."

"Yeah, and there is that, Dimentio!" Mimi added.

Dimentio glared at Bow for a second before he returned his gaze to Mimi. Growling, he avoided eye contact and crossed his arms.

"You are going to be the end of me," Dimentio muttered to himself.

Mimi smiled a bit. "What can I say? I know what I need to do."

Dimentio said nothing in reply.

Blumiere, amused by this, chuckled softly.

"Then it is settled. We all know what the plan is."

"It would seem so," Bow replied. "And the faster we put it into action, the better."

Timpani nodded in agreement.

"Then let's do it."

She made eye contact with Dimentio, Mimi, and Blumiere.

"You all be careful."

Blumiere gave a small smile, walking over towards Timpani.

"You too."

He gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. Dimentio blinked, though his eyes didn't reveal any emotion. Mimi took a hold of his arm, setting her head on his shoulder.

"It's almost over," she said optimistically. "By tomorrow morning, we will be on our own and ready to start our new life together."

Dimentio stared at her for a moment. Slowly, he gave a small smile.

"Yes, _bellezza_. Soon we shall be free, like a couple of songbirds flying in the sky."

He kissed her.

"Perhaps, in a way, it is a good thing that you are coming with me," Dimentio said. "You'll give me something to fight for, no matter what the shadow spirit does to me."

Mimi smiled in reply.

After they all said their goodbyes, Timpani, Bow, and the boos all headed to Bowser's castle while Blumiere, Mimi, and Dimentio headed for Princess Peach's castle. For the end was just over the horizon.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

With darkness hiding them in the shadows, Blumiere, Mimi, and Dimentio slowly stepped out of the forest. They arrived at the edge Toad Town, the streets being deathly still and dark. Even though most of them didn't know what was going on, all the toads knew that something was dreadfully wrong.

But before they could officially step into town, Dimentio suddenly stopped walking. Both Blumiere and Mimi turned to him, seeing that there was a large grin on his face.

"Before we go after the shadow spirit, I believe I need to get into a more appropriate outfit," Dimentio said. "After all, I'm still in my Count Lucifer disguise."

Snapping his fingers, Dimentio's black clothes slowly morphed into his jester outfit. His face turned back into its deformed look but his half black and white mask quickly covered it. Mimi blinked, a puzzled look in her eyes. Blumiere sighed.

"You wanted to show your true self, but you still wear a mask?"

"Oh, dear count, this _is_ my true self," Dimentio replied with a smile. "The mask is just there so you two wouldn't have to look at my hideousness."

"Or when you face your father's shadow, so you can hide your true emotions from him. Your fear."

Dimentio said nothing in reply.

Mimi looked from Blumiere to Dimentio, a part of her wondering if she should say something. Blumiere gave a sympathetic look.

"It is natural to feel fear for what you are about to face, Dimentio. If I was in your position, I have no idea how I would be acting. If I could do it."

"That's because you couldn't," Dimentio snapped. "For the last time you had to deal with anything compared to this, you destroyed your whole species!"

Teleporting further ahead, Dimentio continued to head to the castle. Mimi gave a worried look.

"Should I...go after him, count?"

Blumiere sighed.

"You can try, though I don't know how he will react."

Mimi looked up at the count for a second. She then quickly ran to catch up to Dimentio, who was walking as fast as he could.

"Dimentio, do you want to talk for a moment?" Mimi asked.

"What is there to talk about, _bellezza_?" Dimentio questioned. "I'm going to face all my fears at once while you and Blumiere rescue Nastasia. Simple task, is it not?"

"No it's not, by the way you are acting."

Dimentio stopped all movement. He stared into Mimi's eyes. She gave him a gentle smile.

"You don't have to face this alone if you don't want to. Blumiere and I are here for you and we can help you."

Dimentio avoided eye contact, his mouth twitching underneath his mask as he prevented himself from laughing.

"Mimi, even though I told you about my father, you only have a _small_ idea of what I'm about to face! And even I am only half prepared for what awaits me, for the shadow spirit is even stronger than my original father!"

A small, high-pitched chuckle escaped him.

"You and the count wouldn't be able to help even if you could. The shadow spirit would only just use you two against me. To torture me..."

There was a short silence.

"...You must keep your focus on Nastasia, once she is taken care of, the shadow spirit will be our only worry. But only I can face it, so you must _not_ interfere with the battle under _any_ circumstances. Understand?"

Mimi was silent for a moment, her eyes desperately trying to meet Dimentio's.

"...But what if the shadow spirit tries to kill you?"

"Even if I lay at Death's doors like a broken doll, you _cannot_ intervene!"

Dimentio was forced to meet Mimi's eyes.

"The moment the shadow spirit sees you, it will come after you so it can torture me a little bit more before I go to hell! And I rather suffer a million deaths, like a pathetic broken hearted man, then to see you die right in front of me."

There was a long silence. Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"And don't you think I feel the same way? I would lose it if you died when I could have done something to prevent it!"

She paused for a moment.

"We will protect each other no matter what. And even if it costs one of our lives..."

She took off his mask.

"It will not be in vain, for the other will continue live and have our friends there to help us get through it. And then when the time is right, we will reunite in the Underwhere."

She kissed him. Dimentio kissed her back, feeling his heart starting to break. With tears trying to form, Dimentio quickly pulled back and put his mask back on before Mimi could notice.

"...Talking about the future isn't going to make it happen," he said, his voice cracking. "We need to keep moving."

Mimi nodded, taking a hold of his arm.

"And we will. Together."

Dimentio made eye contact with her, but then quickly looked away. At that moment, Blumiere walked up to them.

"Are you two ready to go?" he asked gently. "If you feel that you need to prepare-"

"There is nothing to prepare for, nor is there any point stalling," Dimentio said, pulling Mimi closer to him. "The sooner this ends, the better."

He took off again, Mimi by his side. Blumiere let out a small sigh to himself before he caught up to them.

The three of them made the rest of the walk in an eerie silence. It was as if they could sense the wrath, grief, and evil they were about to face coming towards them, welcoming them. Eventually, they arrived at the gates to Peach's castle, the dark clouds covering the still beautiful white palace. With his heart pounding in his chest, Dimentio turned to Blumiere.

"Here is the plan. I'll go inside the castle and see if I can lure out the shadow spirit. I will cast a spell to make you and Mimi invisible so you can enter undetected. Once I get the shadow spirit distracted, the two of you will go find Nastasia. _Don't_ reveal yourselves until then, or everything is ruined."

He paused for a second.

"And with that, let's hope for the best."

Blumiere nodded.

"I wish you luck."

Dimentio met the count's gaze for a moment, before he turned his attention to Mimi.

"Remember what I told you," Mimi said. "And know that I will always be with you."

"...Thank you, Mimi."

Dimentio got out of her grasp and turned to face her and Blumiere. Snapping his fingers, he cast the spell to make Blumiere and Mimi disappear. Once they were completely gone from view, Dimentio opened the gate for them and he levitated inside.

His breathing thickened the closer he got to the castle, Mimi's words echoing in his mind. His heart pounded in his chest, and though his mask always had a large smile, it could not hide the fear that was within him. Eventually, he arrived at the front door and went inside. The entrance hall was very dark, shadows hanging on the walls like the whole interior was consumed with darkness.

Emptying his mind of thought, Dimentio flew up to the upper parts of the castle. Once he was at the top floor, he made his way to the throne room, where a faint flicker of light could be seen. Without hesitation, Dimentio opened the door.

With candles lighting up the entire room, Nastasia sat on Princess Peach's throne, the Star Rod laying on her lap. And with a completely different appearance. No longer was she the secretary for Count Bleck, but more like a dark version of Timpani. Her hair was now in the same style as the countess's, wearing a black dress and having now the exact body shape. The only thing that was the same from Nastasia's true appearance was her hair and skin color, along with her eyes.

Beside her, O'Chunks laid deathly still inside an invisible prison, his whole body covered with serious wounds. Nastasia glared at Dimentio, her eyes burning with pure loathing.

"So you finally decided to show yourself, hell spawn," she said in a dark voice. "I was wondering if we would ever have the chance to speak before Lucifer killed you off."

Dimentio smiled.

"I'm surprised that you are still even civilized to talk to me, after what you have done. I must say, Nastasia...you _really_ out done yourself. I never knew I had made that big of an impression on you."

He gave a mocking bow, only to fuel more anger towards Nastasia's bloodthirsty gaze. However, her posture remained calm and elegant.

"Even after all this, you still remain that joking bastard."

She gave a sad look.

"Apparently using Mr. L wasn't enough... I would hate to use another one of my friends like this, but if it will finally break you..."

She sighed.

"Hopefully Mimi will forgive me once this is all over. But she will understand, once I've gotten rid of the monster who has held her back."

Dimentio clutched his fists tightly. But before he could make a reply, Nastasia took a hold of the Star Rod.

"Lucifer, come to me!"

At her command, her wish, the shadow spirit of Lucifer appeared at her side. Dimentio felt his whole body become cold at the sight of his father's shadow. Lucifer's shadow gave a bloodthirsty smile and Nastasia made eye contact with Dimentio.

"Maybe I can't give you the exact torture that I had to go through, since I don't know where Mimi is," she said. "But I can at least feel the triumph of seeing your dead body before me. And maybe to even see you die."

She turned to the shadow spirit.

"Lucifer, _destroy_ him!"

At her order, Lucifer's shadow summoned an electric sphere and threw it straight at Dimentio. Dimentio quickly teleported away, having the sphere crash right through the wall. The shadow spirit teleported as well, and the two of them could be heard fighting brutally all over the castle. A small, sadistic smile appeared on Nastasia's face, as if she could picture the battle perfectly in her mind.

_"Nastasia!"_

With Dimentio and the shadow spirit gone, Blumiere used his own magic to make himself and Mimi visible. At the sight of them, especially the count, Nastasia's eyes grew wide. Her face paled dramatically with shock and Blumiere quickly rushed to her.

"Nastasia, what have you done to yourself?" Blumiere asked, his eyes glowing with shock and disbelief. "Nastasia...why...?"

His voice cracked as he spoke.

Nastasia blinked, staring at Blumiere like she couldn't believe he was there. Small tears fell from her eyes.

"...I wanted to avenge you," Nastasia finally whispered. "I wanted to make that traitor pay for what he has done to you...to me...to Mimi, O'Chunks, and Luigi..."

She looked deeply into Blumiere's eyes.

"I wanted to have _you_ back, count..."

She started to cry, mumbling about Dimentio's death and how she and Blumiere would be happy once it was all over. Blumiere tried to calm her down and sooth her, but his words seemed to fly over her head.

Meanwhile, Mimi was able to destroy the glass prison the shadow spirit had cast and got to O'Chunks, desperately trying to wake him up.

"...Nastasia," he whispered in his unconscious state. "Nastasia..."

He was alive, but Mimi did not know any powerful healing spells to wake him up. She did a few minor ones that Merlee taught her back at the mansion in case the workers got any injuries, but that was only able to stop the bleeding. She shook O'Chunks a couple more times, desperate for him to wake. But it wasn't enough, for all he could do was say Nastasia's name.

In the background, mixing in with Blumiere's pleas and Nastasia's mad rambling, Mimi could hear things in the castle getting destroy from Dimentio and the shadow spirit's battle, telling her things were getting more intense.

* * *

Dimentio screamed in pain as Lucifer's shadow electrocuted him with a strong jolt of electricity. The shadow spirit gave a sadistic grin, enjoying the sight of Dimentio's suffering. Dimentio fell from mid air, landing hard in the middle of the stair case, panting heavily as his vision blurred. The shadow spirit approached him, magic auras glowing around him.

"Your fighting is useless," Lucifer's shadow said. "You can never beat your own father, you disappointment of a prodigy!"

"Enough!"

Dimentio summoned an electric sphere, hitting the shadow spirit in the stomach. It sent it flying, hitting the wall with a loud thud and it screaming in pain. It fell to its knees, Dimentio slowly gaining the strength to stand. With as much stamina as he could use, he approached the shadow of his father.

"You are _not_ my father!" Dimentio exclaimed. "You, shadow spirit, are just a memory of what he once was, like a young boy's nightmare lurking over him as he sleeps! And like waking from a nightmare, _I will kill you like I did my real father_!"

Using a mixture of electricity and fire, Dimentio used the last of his magical abilities to give one devastating blow at the shadow spirit. The shadow spirit screamed in agony, its flesh melting off by the flames and its body covered with sparks. Dimentio watched, smiling and laughing as the thing he feared most died right in front of his eyes.

But once the flames and sparks faded, the shadow spirit still showed signs of breathing. Dimentio's eyes widened as it stood up. Lucifer's shadow laughed, a laugh sounding like a mix between Dimentio's father's and his own.

"And even though you ended your father's life, a part of you always feared that he would return," the shadow spirit said with a smile. "You never were able to fully face him, because your childhood fears still lingered in your mind. Like your love for the fair Timpani, even though you clearly have another woman in your life."

Its grin grew.

"And that is your problem, Dimentio, you can never fully let go or face what your fear most. Even now, with your mask, I can still see your fright."

Limping towards him, the shadow spirit ripped of Dimentio's mask, revealing his deformed face. Dimentio jumped back, firing a large electric sphere. The shadow spirit smiled, snapping its fingers and teleporting out of the way before the sphere could hit it. Dimentio froze, shaking in fear as his father's voice echoed through his ears.

_"And how fitting it will be for you to die in the hands of what was once the man who helped brought you into this life."_

Before he could react, the shadow spirit appeared in front of Dimentio and grabbed a hold of his neck. It lifted him into the air, Dimentio chocking as he tried to loosen its grip. But the shadow spirit was too strong, and its grip was becoming even tighter. Dimentio stared fearfully into the shadow spirit's, his father's, bright yellow eyes. The eyes that had always haunted him. The shadow spirit gave a demented smile, one that Dimentio had used so many times himself.

"And to fulfill Lady Nastasia's wish, I will take you to her so she can enjoy your last few moments of life."

* * *

With the screams of agony that echoed throughout the castle, Mimi felt like she would snap at any second. To hear her lover in pain, to have seen two friends critically injured, one on the verge of dying, and another going mad from grief and vengeance. To have her hero to sound so desperate and pleading... It was making her heart break.

"...Nastasia," O'Chunks continuously muttered. "Nastasia..."

"Nastasia, I saved you so that you can have a second chance at life without me haunting you!" Blumiere exclaimed, his hands on Nastasia's shoulders as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Nastasia, you're making the same mistake that I made when I lost Timpani!"

"This is no mistake, Blumiere!" Nastasia cried, tears running down her cheeks. "This is what I want, this is the only way I will be able to live!"

"By murder and hurting everyone that is close to you?" Blumiere questioned.

Nastasia's eyes darkened.

"...If it means Dimentio pays, if it means getting you back..."

Using the Star Rod's power, Nastasia was able to get Blumiere off of her so that she could stand up.

"Then I'm afraid that is a sacrifice I am willing to take. Being with you, Blumiere, is the only way I can ever be happy..."

"That's not true!"

Nastasia turned to Mimi, who was glaring at her. They met each others gaze.

"You told me that you were grateful for O'Chunks when he took you in at a time when you needed a friend the most!" Mimi yelled. "You said that you appreciated us and that you didn't deserve our friendship! Well now you truly don't, because _this_ is how you repaid O'Chunks!"

She gestured towards the critically wounded man.

"If you would have just moved on like the count wanted you to, you could have been happy! You could have had many friends and maybe even meet someone who would love you like you do Blumiere!"

Her gaze hardened.

"Living in the past and keeping on to old grudges is ultimately going to destroy you. That's what happened to Dimentio, and looked what became of him! He went mad and almost destroyed everything and everyone. And you...are being just as bad as Dimentio was by doing the same thing to me that he did to you."

Nastasia's eyes widened.

"Don't you think we have all suffered enough, Nassy?" Mimi pleaded, her voice growing tired. "Don't you think it is time we all move on from what happened in the past? Don't you think it is time...that you let go so that you can finally be happy?"

Nastasia stared at Mimi, her whole body shaking. Tears fell from her eyes, a mixture of emotions flowing in her gaze.

"Mimi...O'Chunks...my friends..."

She turned to Blumiere, who gave a few tears of his own. Nastasia's eyes widened.

"...W-what..."

She fell to her knees, holding onto the Star Rod tightly.

"_What have I've done_?!"

She lost it completely, crying at the top of her lungs. Blumiere came to her side and wrapped his arms around her, trying his best to comfort her.

"Can't you people ever not be so cruel?"

Mimi and Blumiere turned to see the shadow spirit, who looked like a decomposing corpse, appearing on the other side of room, still holding onto a severely hurt Dimentio by the neck. Mimi and Blumiere gasped, Nastasia's eyes widening with horror.

"_Dimentio_!"

The shadow spirit laughed in reply. Mimi clutched her fists, hatred burning in her eyes.

"You _monster_! I will make you pay for hurting my friends!"

The shadow spirit smiled.

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"By showing my true self."

Snapping her neck, she transformed into her spider self. The shadow spirit flinched a bit, but it still looked amused.

"Very well, this should be interesting."

It threw Dimentio to the ground, having him gasping for air. Lucifer's shadow summoned a magical sword and immediately charged at Mimi.

Mimi quickly climbed on the walls and ceiling, generating and throwing rubees at the shadow spirit. But the shadow spirit was able to block every attack Mimi gave, and delivered some devastating hits to Mimi. It cut off a few of her legs, causing her to fall to the ground. But Blumiere was able to heal her for her to grow new ones, and used his magic to shield her from attacks that would have normally killed her. Dimentio and Nastasia watched the whole thing from where they were, paralyzed with fear to do anything.

After a long, drawn out fight, the shadow spirit was able to exhaust both Mimi and Blumiere's power. Making eye contact with Dimentio, it raced up to Mimi and stabbed her fragile spider body. Blumiere and Nastasia gasped as Dimentio screamed.

"_No_!"

Mimi stared into the shadow's spirit's eyes, coughing up blood. The shadow spirit laughed in triumph, quickly removing the blade from Mimi's body. She immediately transformed to her normal self, her side dripping with blood as she held on to it. Mimi gasped for air, her eyes glowing with pain. The shadow spirit walked up to Mimi and prepared for the killing strike, laughing at the top of its lungs.

But before it could strike, Dimentio tackled the shadow spirit and held it down to the ground.

"_I won't let you take her! I won't let you destroy everything I love!_"

He sent electricity through the shadow spirit's body, not holding anything back. The shadow spirit's eyes widened, screaming as the electricity went through its heart. When it wasn't dead, Dimentio sent a stronger bolt of electricity through its body, the thought of protecting Mimi empowering him. The shadow spirit's eyes slowly began to lose light. But before they dimmed completely, a sad look appeared in its eyes.

"...Finally...you are free... My precious son..."

Dimentio's eyes widened.

Lucifer smiled in reply, his eyes becoming lifeless. The cold corpse of the shadow spirit soon dissolved away into darkness, leaving nothing of its existence behind.

There was a long silence, both Dimentio and Mimi panting heavily. Using up so much energy and mental strength, Dimentio's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground.

"Dimentio!"

Mimi tried to reach him, but the pain in her side became too much as she fell right next to him, her world turning black.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

"Err...where..."

Luigi felt like his head was about to explode. His whole body ached with pain, like he had been electrocuted and caught on fire at the same time. He couldn't tell how much time had passed, what was going on or anything.

_"Luigi?"_ a distant voice asked.

"...D-Daisy?"

Using all of his strength to open his eyes, Luigi found himself in a hospital bed with Daisy, Mario, and Peach watching over him. When she saw him open his eyes, Daisy gasped, tears running down her cheeks.

"Oh Luigi, you are alive!" she exclaimed. "The doctors said that you wouldn't wake up...and yet here you are!"

Trying to keep her emotions under control, Daisy leaned down and gave her boyfriend a big hug. Luigi flinched at her touch, his body still in a lot of pain, but he was happy to see her.

"It's good to see you too, Daisy. To see you all safe and..."

Luigi's eyes widened.

"How did you three get here?! I thought you were imprisoned at Bowser's castle!"

Daisy pulled away from Luigi and sat back down in her chair, her eyes darkening. Mario gave a sad look and Peach let out a heavy sigh.

"Luigi, you have been here at the hospital in a coma for two weeks now," she said softly. "You were severely hurt and was almost killed."

Luigi's face paled.

"...I guess that Lucifer guy really wanted me dead, didn't he?"

Peach shook her head.

"No, it wasn't him. I...don't know all of the details, but Lady Bow told me what happened."

"Lady Bow?! So Mimi and Dimentio did make it there!"

He paused.

"...Wait, if it has been two weeks, Lucifer is gone, right?"

Peach nodded in reply.

"And...what happened to Dimentio after that? And Mimi? Are they safe?"

There was a long silence, Luigi feeling like his heart was about to stop. But before he could ask another question, there was a knock at the door. Peach said that they could come in and slowly, Nastasia walked in, looking like her normal self again.

"Um...if you don't mind," Nastasia said softly, "O'Chunks and I would like to speak to Luigi in private."

Daisy narrowed her eyes.

"Why? You caused all this mess in the first place! Why should we let you see Luigi when it was _you_ who-"

"Daisy, please," Luigi interrupted. "I don't blame Nastasia for what happened. If she wants to see me, I'll allow it."

Daisy turned to Luigi, her eyes glowing with disapproval.

"Luigi, you can't! You must still be tired, you're not thinking straight! You need to..."

She stopped talking as Mario put his hand on her shoulder. She wanted to speak up again, but the firm look in Mario's eyes made her keep quiet. Daisy let out a heavy sigh, crossing her arms to show that she still did not like Luigi's decision. Luigi gave a grateful look at his brother, in which Mario replied with a smiled.

Slowly, Mario, Daisy, and Peach left the room. Once the three of them were gone, Nastasia and O'Chunks stepped in. Luigi's eyes widened to see all the bandages and bruises on the older warrior.

"O'Chunks... You took it pretty hard too, I see."

O'Chunks nodded.

"I did, but I look better than I did two weeks ago. Don't worry about me, I will be fine."

A concerned look appeared in his eyes.

"Though I'm more worried about you, lad. How are you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess," Luigi answered, though he sounded unsure of himself. "I just woke up from a coma, I hear and my whole body is in a great amount of pain. But, with a little rest and peace, I think I'll be okay."

O'Chunks smiled.

"That is great to hear. I wouldn't think that the man who used to be Mr. L would go down so easily."

Luigi gave an awkward laugh.

"Yeah... He is a part of me."

His eyes turned to Nastasia. She kept her eyes to the ground, a guiltily look in her gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Luigi," she confessed softly. "If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be here so injured and tired..."

Small tears started to form in her eyes, O'Chunks putting his arm around her to comfort her. Luigi gave a sympathetic look.

"Nastasia, I forgive you. You had no idea what you were doing."

He paused for a moment.

"However...I would like to know what had happened since Dimentio's father captured me. Because it sounds like I missed out on a lot."

"...And you did."

With a heavy sigh, Nastasia explained to Luigi everything that happened. She told him about her transforming him back into Mr. L to torture Dimentio, what Bow told her about the fire at Boo's Mansion and her trip to the Underwhere to bring back Blumiere and Timpani. When Nastasia told him about his big fight with Dimentio, Luigi's face paled dramatically, looking like he was experiencing it all over again. But he did not interrupt her, for then she explained about the shadow spirit and her confrontation with Dimentio, Blumiere, and Mimi, along with explaining that it was Timpani and Bow who rescued Mario and the others at Bowser's castle. Finally, she told him what happened after Mimi got severely injured by the shadow spirit.

"...Once Mimi was hurt, I think it gave Dimentio enough power and the will to destroy the shadow spirit," Nastasia said. "Whether it was conquering his fear that killed it or physically destroying it, I don't know. But once it was dead, Dimentio exhausted himself and fainted, and Mimi did so right after."

She clutched her fists tightly, the memory still being so fresh in her mind.

"I remember seeing their breathing slow down, and I was afraid that they were going to die because of my mistake, because of the evil I caused. In a desperate attempt, I used the Star Rod's power so that they could live. And God must have been so merciful on me, for I was able to keep them alive long enough for Blumiere to take them to this hospital."

"So they are alive?" Luigi asked.

O'Chunks nodded.

"Yes, but let the lass finish."

Luigi blinked, puzzled as to why it was so important to finish the story. But he didn't complain, for Nastasia continued right away.

"Once Mimi and Dimentio were in the hospital safe and sound, Count Blumiere and Countess Timpani went back to the Underwhere and Bow began her reconstruction of her mansion. Both Mimi and Dimentio were in comas like you were in, Luigi, so all of us got together to visit you three, along with O'Chunks, every day."

"I wasn't as injured as you three were," O'Chunks quickly added. "But it was enough for me to stay in the hospital for about a week."

"And thank God for that," Nastasia replied.

"And what about Dimentio and Mimi?" Luigi asked, his heart racing. "Are they still in comas or are they up and about like O'Chunks?"

Nastasia and O'Chunks's eyes darkened.

"...About three days ago, I came to the hospital early morning to check up on Mimi," Nastasia said. "But when I arrived at her room, she was nowhere to be seen. Alarmed, I quickly went over to Dimentio's room to see he was gone too. I then asked one of the nurses where they were, and they were just as shocked as I was. I called Mario, Peach, and even Bowser, but they didn't know where they were either! And we searched all day and couldn't find a trace."

Luigi's eyes widened.

"So they...disappeared?"

"More like ran away," Nastasia replied. "Dimentio, and maybe Mimi, must have gotten out of their comas some time that night. Realizing what's going on, either they both decided to leave, or Dimentio took Mimi and left for some faraway dimension."

"But why would Dimentio kidnap her, especially if she was in a coma? Surely he would know that her being in a hospital was the best thing for her!"

"Knowing Dimentio, I wouldn't be surprised that he would do something like this. He is also a magician, so he could use magic to heal her if he needed to. In his mind, he thought he was doing the right thing."

"But still! He should have also known that her friends would have been worried sick about her!"

Luigi leaned back in his bed, letting out a heavy sigh as he calmed himself down. The last thing he needed to do was work himself up.

"So...what do we plan to do? When are we going to start looking for them?"

"We aren't."

Shocked, Luigi, and even Nastasia, turned to O'Chunks. O'Chunks sighed, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

"...Sometime before Nastasia made the call about them disappearing, I was asleep in my room in the castle when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Thinking it was Nastasia, I opened the door, but instead of finding her, I found Mimi."

Nastasia gasped.

"What?! You never said that you saw Mimi! _Why_ did you keep that a secret?!"

"Because Mimi told me to," O'Chunks answered, his voice firm. "She told me to tell no one that I saw her. I was only supposed to tell you two when I thought you were ready to know."

"'Ready to know?' What is that suppose to mean?!" Nastasia demanded, her voice rising.

O'Chunks looked at her in the eye.

"Calm down, Nastasia. This is why I've kept it a secret. I didn't want you to freak out like this. You are already stressed out as it is."

Nastasia glared at him, her whole body shaking. Luigi moved his gaze from Nastasia to O'Chunks.

"...Please continue, O'Chunks," he finally said. "What did Mimi say to you before she left?"

After Nastasia calmed down, the Scottish warrior continued, "She told me that she and Dimentio were going to sneak out of the hospital that night. She said that they were going to start a new life together in a far off dimension, one that they wouldn't be recognized and where they could put the past behind them. She never told me why they were doing this, and I never asked either, but she wanted me, and you two, to know that they were fine and not to worry."

He paused for a moment.

"Once she told me all that, she gave a very heart filled goodbye, and said that she would miss us all very much. After that...she teleported out of my room."

There was a long silence, O'Chunks doing his best to keep himself from crying. Nastasia sat down in the chair Peach was sitting at, a few tears falling from her eyes. Luigi stared at the ground, his mind still trying to process the information he just learned, along with everything else.

"...So are they really gone for good?" he suddenly asked. "Or will we ever see them again?"

There was a small silence.

Slowly, O'Chunks looked out the window that was next to Luigi's bedside.

"...I may not be the smartest person, but I think it would be hard to say that we would _never_ see them again. Maybe not right away, but years later, where all of this is nothing but a memory. Like what happened at Castle Bleck."

Luigi and Nastasia glanced out the window as well. As the three of them looked over the horizon, they knew somewhere far away their close friend was out there, being with the one she loved.

Slowly, a small smile appeared on Luigi's face. He might not see Mimi any time soon, but at least now he could know that she was happy. And as long as she was happy, that's all that mattered. With the external, as well as internal, scars healing in the process.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well...here it is, the finale to A Cruel Demon's fate, as well as the Criminal series! A part of me is kind of sad that it is over, but another part is proud on how well this fanfic turned out. I loved how it turned out and have zero complaints on it.**

**I thank you all for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoyed it all!**


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